Perceptions Series: 08 Pursuing Truth
by kalinda001
Summary: Avon tries to recover from revelations that nearly killed him in the last story. The crew's next destination is a Sector on Servalan's possible alien incursion list, a place where they shoot first and don't bother to ask any questions.
1. Chapter 1

Note from Author:

I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading the _New Patterns_ and the _Perceptions_ stories. Some of you have left comments or have sent me notes. Those have been greatly appreciated. They help me as a writer and make me feel like I'm not writing in a vaccuum. As those who've messaged/emailed/PMed me have found out, I'm always ready to discuss anything B7. Well, almost anything...

What I would like to do as I near the end of the _Perceptions_ group of stories is to ask for feedback and suggestions.

I have given the people who follow these GP stories on LiveJournal an opportunity to add their contributions so I would like to give the people on fanfiction this chance as well.

What about these stories have you liked/disliked? What would you like to see more of? Which is your favourite pairing or relationship? Is there something I haven't done yet that you would like to see? Is there something I've done that hasn't worked very well?

Is there a character that appeared in an earlier story that you would like to see back? For instance, the tech mercenaries, Ture and Allren, were brought back because of requests by several readers.

**Chapter One**

It had almost become a ritual for Vila to visit the medical observation room after his shift. He didn't expect to find anything different, but he had hope.

Avon nearly died a week ago. Vila still couldn't believe what happened. Sester's information about Anna had been shocking. Vila had never met the woman Avon loved. He had only seen the holopics of her that Avon had provided and the meagre details he had shared when he was arranging to avenge her death.

It was more of _how_ Avon shared that had told Vila how much he loved her and was still affected by her death. Not that he was ever that emotional in those days, but there was the haunted look in his eyes and the sense of stillness he got when he spoke about her. It was much more than his normal lack of expression. It was a total _loss_ of expression.

Avon had come back from Servalan's cellar and had shut himself up in his cabin for a day. When he came back out again, it was as if nothing had happened, except for that incident with Tarrant on the flight deck.

Vila hesitated just before going inside. After a week of disappointments, he wasn't sure he could to face another one.

Sester said from behind him, "He still hasn't woken up yet, in case you were wondering." Vila nearly jumped at the sudden voice. He turned around and saw the psychostrategist leaning against the corridor wall with his arms crossed casually across his chest.

"What are you doing here?" Vila asked suspiciously.

"The same thing as you, I imagine." Sester pushed away from the wall and came to stand beside him to look through the doorway.

"It's hard for you to go in too?"

"It's not difficult at all, but I'm the last person who would be welcome inside." Sester had a self-mocking quality about him these days to go along with his easy smile.

Vila gave him a hard look. It was hard to know what his role with Sester was now. He didn't know if Sester even trusted him anymore, or liked him after what happened with Avon. Sester hadn't been coming to seek him out as he used to.

He did feel bad for Sester. The man had tried to help Avon but no one seemed to believe him, apart from the Commander, of course. Argus and Cally were still hostile towards him and could barely stand him anywhere near them. He was reduced to skulking in the corridors, wanting to offer support and to show concern but knowing it would be met with hostile cynicism.

Vila tried to show him that not everyone thought the same way about him. "I think you did try to help Avon."

Sester had a lightly ironic tone in his voice. "You don't have to pretend anymore, Vila. I know what you've been trying to do."

Vila reassured him, "I'm not pretending." He hesitated and then added, "Not this time."

Sester's brow rose. "No more games, Vila? Or is this just another one?"

"No games. I didn't like doing it to you, but I thought you deserved it." Vila had been thinking about this and decided that the best way to reach Sester was with honesty. He was sure that Avon, Argus and Cally would probably call him a fool for even considering that Sester was capable of being human.

Sester asked with amusement, "And what do you think I deserve now?"

Vila looked uncertain. "Not this." He didn't know how else to reach out to this man who was supposed to be the enemy, but didn't always act it. "Come in with me," he offered. "It'll be easier with Cally if I go in with you."

It wasn't often that someone could surprise Sester. Vila seemed sincere, but of course, it could all be more of the act. For Sester, except for his fellow psychostrategists, it was hard to develop any kind of meaningful relationships when you suspected everyone. "I'd better not," he told Vila. "Cally has enough to worry about, without me clouding the issue."

Vila had an idea. "I could offer to take over for a bit so she can get some rest, then you can come in."

"You're getting to be quite devious, Vila, but I'm not sure it will work."

"How do we know if I don't try?"

"I know."

"It's one of those psychostrategist things, is it?"

Sester smiled, "I can't seem to stop being one."

"Have you tried?"

That made Sester laugh. "Only if I turn my brain off."

"Will you be here when I come out?"

"If you like."

**********

The observation room next to the medical unit had its lights turned down. To Vila, it provided a gloomy atmosphere in keeping with the sombre mood that pervaded it these days. Slowly blinking indicator lights and dimly lit monitor displays seemed to be the only signs of life until Vila got closer to the bed where Avon lay.

The first thing Vila always looked at was the heart monitor display. After the scare they all had, he needed to reassure himself that Avon's heart was still beating. The next was the gentle rise and fall of Avon's chest. These were the only reassuring signs in this room.

He couldn't see Cally but he imagined she had to be nearby. Most likely in the main medical bay next door. She was never far from Avon these days, she didn't seem to be able to exist without him.

Vila carefully perched himself on the edge of the bed and looked down at Avon. There was no movement of the eyes under lids that still remained tightly closed. No indication that there was anything other than a functioning body.

The body was there, but where was Avon?

Vila remembered calling Avon a machine once. He and Gan had been bored and were looking for some amusement. Avon had seemed the perfect target. He had been working quietly nearby, not paying any attention to any of them. Not participating in the conversations.

Vila had wanted to get a rise out of the arrogant Alpha who didn't seem to want to socialize with any of them. He had called him a machine. Not in so many words of course, but in that clever way he used with Sester, just to prove that he was just as smart as any Alpha. For just a split second, there seemed to be a flash of something in Avon's eyes and then the cold, hard familiar mask that made Vila think he had imagined a human reaction where there couldn't possibly be any. He realized now that he had been wrong.

_You never were a machine. Why did you pretend that you were? Why did you want everyone to believe that? Did you like being hurt? Or was it because you thought you would be hurt less? It didn't work though, did it? Life has a way of doing that. For an intelligent man, you can be dense about some things._

Vila realized something he hadn't before. Sometimes Avon needed to be saved from himself. He may know how to save others, but he didn't really know how to save himself.

Cally came in. "You're here again, Vila."

Vila said jokingly, "It feels like I never left."

Cally nodded silently and went over to check the life monitors.

Vila asked hopefully, "Is he better?"

The sad, depressed look on her face was his answer even before she responded. "Physically, he's recovered back to where he was before the heart attack. There was no brain damage. All of his brain wave patterns are registering normally." This was also another ritual. Vila would ask how Avon was, and she would always give the same answer, with slight variations. The end message was always the same.

Cally reached out and placed her hand on Avon's head. "But that doesn't tell us anything about what is going on in here."

"Then why isn't he waking up?"

Cally looked up to look at him. "I don't know, Vila. I can't even reach him with my mind. I can 'touch' him but he doesn't seem to be aware of me."

"Cally…" Vila wanted to say something but it hurt too much to even think it. "Did…we make a mistake?"

"What do you mean?"

"Something you said before. Avon didn't want to come back. But we made him."

Cally's face had a long pained look. "I…know." She stroked Avon's head gently. Before Avon had collapsed, even with the mind barrier she had put up, she had felt a pain and anguish from him that would incapacitate most people. She didn't know what it would be like for him to wake up and have to face that again. Nothing they did could undo his mistake. It didn't matter if it had been a horrible mistake, something he could not have done anything about. They all made mistakes that day in the cellar. She, Anna and Avon.

They had brought him back to to face it all again. Every time she thought about it, it made her question if she had done the right thing. Was she being selfish? Was she only thinking of her own needs, or his?

Aurons faced this kind of pain by sharing it with each other. Humans faced their agonies relatively alone. They had each other, but it was nothing compared to what her own people shared. Avon wasn't even capable of that.

Cally had hoped that one day he would be able to draw more strength from her. With what his mind had proved capable of so far in their explorations, she thought it might be possible. But that was some day far in the future.

*_ Avon, you're not alone. I will never leave you alone. _*

"Let me talk to him." Sester's voice came from the doorway. Cally whirled around to face him and said with barely disguised antagonism, "Get out!"

Sester came slowly into the room. "I can help." There was no familiar smile on his face, just sincere concern. "I know you don't believe me Cally, but I don't want to see Avon like this any more than you do. Good opponents are hard to come by. I would rather not lose one of his calibre. Consider it a selfish reason but a genuine one. What do you have to lose? How could I possibly do more to Avon than I already have?" He stood a respectful, and safe, distance away from the edge of Avon's bed.

Cally had an unpleasant look on her face as she listened to him. Sester sounded just like he did when he had tricked her into believing that he was a prisoner; when he had offered a sympathetic and caring concern and encouraged her to share about Avon. He was warm and convincing and she didn't trust him one bit. She said with a nasty scepticism, "I'm sure you can think of something."

Sester heaved a sigh and turned to go.

Vila spoke up, "Cally, let him try." Even though Vila still didn't know what motivated this man, there was one thing he was certain of, Sester was telling the truth about his concern for Avon.

Sester stopped and turn to look at Vila speculatively. That was twice that Vila had surprised him.

Cally said, "You don't know him, Vila. You shouldn't trust him."

"I know I shouldn't." Vila looked at Sester. He wasn't sure why he was doing this for someone who was still the enemy in many ways; he just knew that he had to. This wasn't a case of whining about danger and then allowing himself to be dragged along. He was taking a stand for something he knew was right. If he let himself think about it, he knew he would probably be nervous and eventually let himself be persuaded. It felt so _strange_ to be asserting himself and not backing down. "I know you don't want to see it, Cally, but he's tried to help Avon. And he's right, what do we have to lose? What happens if Avon never wakes up?"

Sester wasn't sure why Vila was doing this, but he was grateful. He said to Cally, "I know that any promises from me would mean nothing to you, Cally and that is entirely my own fault. I have never done anything to give you a reason to trust me, but I would like to." When Sester was trying to sound sincere, he was very effective. His words had the ability to reach down and touch even the hardest of hearts.

Cally knew what he was though and had heard it all before. Her antagonism and mistrust was clear. "Don't use your _'act'_ on me, _Sester_."

Sester wanted her to believe him. He decided to change tactics. "I didn't intend to tell Avon about Anna. I never wanted this to happen to him. If I had known that he was listening, I would never have said anything."

Vila said, "Cally, he's right. He never knew that Avon was listening. No one knew there was a transmitter in Sester's bracelet."

Cally couldn't deny that, she didn't know either. Avon hadn't told her.

Vila continued trying to defend the enemy who wasn't always the enemy. "Servalan wanted to hurt Avon but Sester didn't. He's been keeping this information to himself. He was willing to go against Servalan because of Avon."

Cally asked Sester "Is this true?" There was still a tone of scepticism in her voice, but less of one.

Sester emphasized, "_Yes_, Cally. If I could have prevented this from happening, I would have. I really tried to. Are you going to let me try to help Avon?"

Vila had convinced her to at least consider Sester's idea. She said, "Tell me what you're going to do."

Sester replied, "Unfortunately, I can't. I would like to, but it won't work if I do."

Cally reacted badly to this. "I knew it. You only want to play games with our lives. With _Avon's_ life."

Vila wasn't sure what Sester was up to either. He was hesitant between believing the man and suspicious because Sester was being secretive. Vila hated secrets. He didn't like that the Alphas always seemed to think it necessary in order to get their own way.

Blake did it whenever he knew they would all object to the danger his actions would put them in.

Avon was secretive by nature. He probably didn't even tell secrets to himself.

For Sester, secrecy was a tool and it was part of his many games. Vila wondered which one he was playing now. He knew that for Sester, even being sincere was a game. It made it very hard to trust him completely.

Sester tried to diffuse Cally's hostility, "I know how it appears, Cally but consider it this way. If I was trying to harm Avon, wouldn't I choose something less suspicious and more likely for you to believe?"

This man was so deviously good at manipulating people that Cally knew she couldn't be sure of anything with him. He sounded sincere, but he always did. She couldn't deny that he had made a good point.

Sester said, "To make matters even worse, I need to be alone with Avon when I do this."

Cally said angrily, "You...."

Before she could go off on a tirade, Sester interrupted her and said, "_Think_, Cally. I may be all of the things you think I am, but there is one thing you know I'm not. I am _not_ suicidal. We both know what you'll do to me if I hurt Avon again."

Sester's psychostrategist brain offhandedly noted all of her thought processes as they passed across her face; anger turning to indecision and then reluctant but still hostile acceptance.

She said with fierce warning, "Remember that."

Sester almost smiled because he had won, but his face remained impassive. He could not afford to antagonize Cally. There was something he was about to do that neither Cally nor Vila would allow him to if they knew.

He waited until Cally and Vila reluctantly left the observation room.

Sester studied the unconscious man for a moment. He suspected that Avon was not entirely unconscious. He was aware of everything at some level, he just wasn't acknowledging it. Sester thought he knew why.

He said to the silent man, "They don't really understand you. Not fully. Not even Cally."

The others only understood the parts of Avon that impacted them. As a psychostrategist, Sester believed that he knew more about him than anyone else. It was why he was very effective at breaking him down and peeling back the layers that would leave Avon vulnerable.

"You don't want to live anymore, but you came back because of them. They needed you and you didn't want to let them down, but you didn't realize how hard it would be. That's why you've stayed unconscious. You're afraid you will try to kill yourself if you do come back all the way, but they won't let you. Because of your connection to Cally, you know she will be able to stop you. They won't leave you alone."

Sester wasn't sure but Avon's heart monitor seemed to be beating a little faster.

"I will make you a promise, Avon. I can make this promise because I'm the only one who can. I am an enemy who respects you. When you feel it is time, when you think you have done all you need to do for these people, I will help you kill yourself."

The observation room seemed deathly quiet as Sester waited to see if he was right. It took so long that he wondered if he had miscalculated.

Finally, Avon's eyes opened and he turned his head to stare at Sester. For along time he said nothing. It was hard to know what he was thinking and then he said, "I will hold you to that promise." Avon turned his head away and contemplated the ceiling. His eyes were deep in thought.

"You know that they'll kill me right afterwards. If they find out." When Avon did not respond, Sester smiled wryly. "You don't really care, do you? As long as you get what you want. We are enemies after all. You probably see it as your final act."

Avon asked, "Why?" His head turned slowly to face Sester. There was naked suspicion in his eyes. "You know the consequences. Why are you doing this?"

Sester shook his head slightly and said, "Why do you insist on asking questions that you don't want to know the answers to, Avon? You don't have to know everything, not if you want to keep your illusions intact."

Avon's said with a snarl of warning, "Don't push me, _Sester_."

A slow pleasant smile returned to Sester's face. "Shall I tell them to come in now?"

Chapter Two

"Jenna Stannis." Her real name rolled over Captain Atton's tongue as if it were a dessert he was tasting. The two of them were sitting in the 'office' area of his spacious cabin, sharing a post-trade drink. He had just offered her a permanent position as the co-pilot on his crew and she had accepted.

Jenna reacted in shock but quickly covered it up. She hoped it had been fast enough. "I've heard of her. Isn't she supposed to be dead?"

"You look very alive to me." Atton's eyes swept her slowly from top to bottom, and stopping at some interesting points in between. Jenna stifled an impulse to jump out of her seat and hit him in some very painful places. When he was done, he said, "You're as beautiful as your reputation says you are."

He rubbed the collar of the expensive brown jacket that was reminiscent of the leather material in old archive photos. It gave him a tough but stylish look. He looked very much the part of a successful and tough smuggler.

"I don't know what you're talking about. My name is Jen Blade. Redden will verify that."

"_You_ told Redden that, so of course he would verify it." He smiled at her indulgently. This man was sly and dangerous but he could be pleasant if you knew how to handle him. "I'm not like Redden."

Jenna said coolly, "You're more successful."

Atton laughed. "Yes, I am. Very. I understand you were too, once upon a time. Before you got caught."

"I told you that I'm not…"

"Not Jenna Stannis? Let's make this clear, I know you are. It would save us both some aggravation if we can get that out of the way. I do hate wasting time on something that's inevitable." He lifted a mug of refreshing beer to his lips, perfectly cooled to the right temperature, and drank from it as he watched Jenna's reaction.

Jenna realized that this man must have some information that he was very certain of. Other than for his deliberately rudeness, he didn't seem threatening yet, but she prepared herself. "Alright, I am. What do you want to do about it?"

"Nothing for the moment. I like to know who's working for me. It makes for fewer surprises. Make no mistake, Jenna Stannis, _I_ am the captain of this ship. I don't care what your past reputation _was_ as long as you do your part. And don't think that you can use us to help your rebel friends, unless, of course, they can pay. We are only in it for the profit here."

Jenna told him, "I'm interested in the profit too. For now. Else I wouldn't be here."

"Then we understand each other."

"We do. And if you look like that at me again, you will regret it. Do _we_ understand each other?" Jenna was very familiar with how people like Atton operated. They respected strength and were merciless to those who allowed themselves to be pushed around.

"We do." Atton smiled and raised his mug to her. They both drank from the glasses as if in an informal agreement. "I need a superb pilot with good instincts. Anything else I can obtain somewhere else." He took another swig of his beer and said, "We're going to pick up some special cargo on Ciscus then we're headed to Sector Ten."

At the mention of her old stomping grounds, Jenna became very interested but didn't show it. She hoped she would have time to see an old friend.

She remarked casually, "I was wondering what we were doing in this region. There are nothing but neutral research labs in this area."

"Neutral labs with some very _interesting_ research." There was a glint of mischief in his eyes.

**********

Cally watched silently as Avon slid off the bed and nearly fell onto the floor as his legs gave out. Cally was waiting and immediately put her arms around him to give him support. She could feel him stiffen at her touch but he let her continue. She said, "I will refrain from saying, I told you so."

Avon fixed her with a steely gaze but didn't push her away as she helped him back onto the bed. He said, "We will do it your way."

"Good." Cally was trying to be gentle and understanding. Since he woke up, Avon had been distant and impassive. His barriers were firmly **in place** and prevented her from sensing him as anything other than a peripheral presence. The occasional warmth she felt from him was gone. He should have at least been mildly irritated or angry at his own weakness, but there was nothing. It was as if his mind had come back, but something fundamental was missing.

"Here, lean on me." Cally told him as she slowly guided him off the bed **again**.

She could feel the warmth of his body where they were touching; it was in sharp contrast to his cold manner. Cally knew that the greatest damage was not to Avon's body, but something much deeper. He didn't seem to want her to touch him. She wondered if they were back where they were before, before they had the breakthrough in physical intimacy.

It was something that she had not explored yet. She was afraid to find out.

So far, she had refrained from asking questions that might cause him stress. Until now, she had been focused on his physical recovery. A normal healthy human should have recovered much quicker than this and be able to walk unaided. Avon was far from fit and it was taking him a much longer time. Having two heart attacks in close proximity to each other had been very damaging to his already compromised health. Each progress seemed to require a momentous struggle.

The most troubling aspect was that Avon had cut her off from his mind. Whenever she tried to reach out to 'touch' him, she met with an impenetrable barrier. He no longer responded to her on a mental level. Her attempts to 'speak' to him were always answered by verbal means. It was as if they were strangers who had never shared the most intimate of connections.

Avon did what he was asked to do in terms of regaining his strength and his health, but there was nothing beyond that. The rest of the time his eyes would be closed or he would stare at the ceiling. Attempts by Vila to deliberately irritate him or give him amusement were met with blank stares and a request to leave.

Supported by Cally, Avon slid slowly off the bed. His legs buckled again, but this time, leaning heavily against her, he was able to stand. He felt weak and unsteady. His legs were shaking as she guided him forward to walk a few steps. A few was all he could manage as she helped him back onto bed again.

Avon lay back on the bed spent. He was sweating and his breathing was strained.

Cally asked him, "How are you feeling?"

His response was an automatic and emotionless, "I'm fine." This was always his answer now. It was as if it were something he had been taught to say in response to questions of this type. A polite and meaningless civility that had little to do with the truth.

"How are you _really_ feeling?"

Avon turned to stare at her with expressionless eyes but didn't say anything.

"Avon, what's wrong? Why won't you talk to me?"

He said, "We have been talking."

"I don't mean questions about your health." She put her hand on his chest and felt him flinch.

Cally said, "Avon, please talk to me. I know something's wrong."

"I have nothing to say."

She asked, "How can you say that after everything that's happened?"

For a split second Avon's jaw seemed to tighten but it was so quick that she could have imagined it. He said without a trace of emotion, "Don't pursue this."

Unfortunately for Avon, his response guaranteed that she would continue to pursue it.

"Avon, what did Sester say to you?" This was a question she had wanted to ask him. Repeated attempts to question Sester had produced nothing. The man refused to answer her queries despite threats or entreaties.

Avon said, "It has no bearing on my present condition."

"Then it has to be about Anna." Cally knew that this had to be a big part of what was bothering him; the information he had found out about Anna. She was conflicted herself about the whole situation. It was hard to compete with someone who lived in ideal terms in someone else's mind. Avon didn't seem to be able to let go of her.

Avon seemed to stop breathing for a few seconds, as if the mention of Anna's name had paralyzed him. He didn't want to talk about this. Keeping everything and everyone at a distance was the only way he knew how to cope with what threatened to overwhelm him. "I need time to process what happened."

Cally tried to encourage him. "It will help if you talk about it."

"I disagree."

The cold, impersonal tone of his voice was like a slap in the face. Cally's voice was full of concern. "Avon, what's happening? Why are you acting this way? After all the progress we've made, why do you want to throw it all away?"

There was a flash of guilt, quickly suppressed, as Avon saw the look in her eyes. The hardest part of the past week did not lie in dealing with the revelations about Anna. Once Sester had agreed to help him, that part of it was resolved in Avon's mind. He owed Anna for killing her and he planned to pay that debt.

The most difficult thing was separating himself from Cally. The idea of being without her was a pain that cut so deeply that he could barely breathe, but he was doing it for her sake. He did not want to hurt her, but he knew that it was inevitable that she would be; as long as she stayed with him.

The revelations about Anna had made him realize that. It had filled him with overwhelming guilt, not just because he had killed her and it may have been in error.

Avon's mind went back to the day of his collapse…

**********

_Anna._

His heart was racing, despite the drugs. His eyes were staring ahead but saw nothing in the room. A heavy weight seemed to be pressing him down as he listened to the voice of his enemy. A voice that was pronouncing his doom.

_[Reya's voice asked, "That was why she tried to kill Avon?"_

_His enemy said, "I'm not sure she intended to kill him. She believed that Avon had become the kind of person who would kill her for betraying him to the Federation."]_

She believed that, of him? _I trusted you, Anna. Why did you not trust me? I would have died for you. I would have done for you what I did for Cally. Why did you not believe me? _A sharp pain seemed to pierce his heart. Avon gripped his chest. _I have been many things, Anna, but I would never have killed you. _

[_Sester's voice was relentlessly redrawing the nightmare of that day. "I watched the footage from the cellar that Servalan provided when we rebuilt the scenario for Avon. Anna did pull a gun on him. Cally shouted in warning and Avon whirled around and shot her. It was a purely instinctive reaction on Avon's part, but Anna may not have meant to kill Avon_."]

As Sester said this, Avon felt himself back in the cellar. The musty smells. The darkness that stretched from hidden corners. The silence of the tomb swallowing up every living sound, except the one he did not want to hear.

"Avon!"

A voice of warning, triggering an instinctive response. _I do not trust instinct._

["_She may have only wanted to prevent him from killing her, so that she could tell him the truth_.]

_I should not have… _As hard as his mind tried to prevent the past from replaying itself, it could only watch helplessly as the Avon of the cellar whirled and drew his gun in one motion.

The Avon that was listening to Sester's voice was finding it hard to breath. His mind was trapped in the cellar of his nightmares, reliving a moment that could only end death. His body was reacting as if it were in a fight it was losing, trying to call on reserves that it could not find. His mind and body were both on the verge of collapse.

[_Sester's voice continued speaking. "That would make more sense with what we know about her. But unfortunately, Avon never knew that when he shot her. There was no way he could have known that she didn't intend to kill him."_

_Reya's voice asked, "So Avon made a mistake?"_]

_I made the mistake. _The Avon in the cellar fired and then stared in shock. It was not Anna, it was Cally he had shot. _I…killed her._

_No!_

The gun dropped from fingers that could not hold onto the reality of what he had done.

_Not Cally!_

He rushed to her side, catching Cally before she fell to the ground, and cradled her in his arms.

_I killed Cally. No! I killed Anna. _The Avon of the cellar stared down in confusion at the dead face of someone he loved more than his own life. It was the face of Cally. _I killed her…no…I didn't…_

His mind was in shock. It could not process what was happening.;;

[_Sester's voice droned on mercilessly, "It is likely he did. Anna tried to explain it to him after she was shot. She tried to tell him that it wasn't all lies and that she did love him. She tried to tell him that she let him go but it was too late and she died before she could say more._"]

In the cabin, Avon's heart was failing. His body was nearing the end of what it could endure. His mind had already passed that point.

**********

"Avon!" Cally's frantic voice and her hands on his shoulders shook Avon out of the nightmare. She injected another dose into his neck. Avon held onto her as his confused mind tried to make sense of what was happening.

The focus of his eyes returned to reality. As he finally saw Cally's face in front of him, a sense of irrational relief and joy filled him to see someone he should have known was alive. *_ Cally? _*

Avon's mental voice caused Cally to put her arms around him. This was the first time, since he woke up, that his mind reached out to her. Perhaps this was all he needed. She hoped that the shock that seemed to make him retreat away from everyone had been broken. *_ Yes, Avon. It's alright. _*

*_ I was in the cellar with… _* He could not say it.

Cally held him tighter and thought, _When will it be over for you?_ She knew Avon had hoped that finding the answers would put this matter to rest. It only seemed to make matters worse.

Avon felt the strength with which Cally was holding him. Her warmth infused his body. He loved her more than he thought could be possible, even more than Anna. The vision he had in his cabin, while he was listening to Sester's voice, told him that. In his vision, when he looked down at the face of the one he loved more than himself, it was Cally's face that he saw. And it had filled him with horror to know that one day, she might die because of his mistakes. It had almost happened once already. The thought was something he could not bear, that was why he had collapsed.

_I cannot let you die. I cannot be the cause of your death. Not again. It will only end badly if you continue to follow me._

It was for her own good. He had to do this, for her sake. Avon was resolved. Cally was better off without him. His stomach reacted in pain to the thought, but he quickly suppressed it.

When he didn't say anything further, Cally said, "Avon, you have to talk about this. If you don't, it's only going to get worse. It's _already_ getting worse."

There was no hint of the pain he was feeling, there was only an impassionate voice. "Talking about it will not change the facts."

"Avon, not everything is about facts."

He said coldly, "Facts are the only thing that matter."

She placed her hand on his arm, trying to reach him. "Do I matter?"

"You…are a fact."

"I am not just a fact. Can a fact do this?" She bent down and sought his mouth with hers. Her desire was in the kiss, but Avon had no reaction. He lay passively, accepting her actions but doing nothing to contribute. Cally felt as if she was only kissing a body, not Avon.

She straightened up and said, "Avon, I'm not Anna."

Avon's jaw tightened imperceptibly. "I know."

She said in a soft voice, "I never will be."

Avon lifted his hand a little, as if to touch Cally's face, but he let it drop back down and looked away from her. Despite this, a faint touch of emotion crept into his voice involuntarily as he said, "I don't want you to be."

"Are we over now, because of Anna?" There was an underlying pain and fear in Cally's voice that cut through the barriers he was trying to maintain.

_No! _A startled look came over Avon's face.

It was what was needed, but it was not what he wanted. "Don't think that." _I can't do this. I can't hurt her this way. _But he still had to save her from himself.

How could this be done? Avon didn't know.

For now, he could not leave Cally while there was still danger around them. The aliens and the Federation had to be dealt with first, then he could die knowing she would be safe; from them and from him. And all of his debts would finally be paid.

He looked into eyes that contained the same love as his. Anna never truly loved him like this. He had been a fool to think she had. Anna may have loved him, but it didn't stop her from betraying him, and she had given him up when she let him go. Perhaps she was only fond of him. Maybe she had learned to love him while she was working to destroy him, but she never loved him enough to tell him the truth or to trust him.

Cally asked, "How am I supposed to think, Avon? You've cut me off and you won't let me reach your mind."

"Give me time."

Cally repeated her earlier question, "Avon, what did Sester say to you? Does he have anything to do with this?"

Avon answered, "No."

"He must have said something to cause you to shut yourself off."

Avon did not want her to pursue this avenue of questions. He had to divert her attention from the topic of Sester and what he did or did not say. Avon's voice became quieter as he said, "It has to do with Anna."

"She loved you." Cally didn't want to say it but it was now a reality that she couldn't ignore. What impact did this have on Avon? How would it affect their own relationship? She was almost afraid to find out.

"Yes, she did." Avon's eyes contemplated the ceiling as he suddenly realized another possibility. "Or so Sester says."

Cally asked with surprise, "You have doubts?"

"His information comes from Servalan."

Cally said with hope. "You're right."

"We may never know the truth," he told her.

"Or we can have Sester find out. He keeps _saying_ that he wants to help you."

Avon said, "Servalan will expect it. I don't want to give her the chance to plant even more damaging information. I am inclined to believe Sester's information because it fits with what Anna said in the cellar."

"You want to believe she loved you."

"It doesn't make me any less a fool if she did. She never loved me enough to tell me the truth and she chose the Federation rather than to leave with me." The tone that was creeping into Avon's voice caused Cally to put her hand over his in reassurance. Avon looked down at her gesture, staring at their joined hands as if his own part in it was something he did not understand. He squeezed her hand in acknowledgement and then he looked up at her and with steady eyes said, "I still killed Anna."

"Avon, you didn't have a choice. It looked like she was going to kill you. If it had been me in the same situation, I would have done the same thing. Any of us in that cellar would have."

"It doesn't change the facts. I am the one who shot her."

"Avon, don't do this to yourself. If you insist on holding yourself responsible, then I will have to share in the blame too. I am the one who warned you when I saw the gun."

"I can't let it go, Cally. I never could with Anna."

"Avon, it's not rational."

For the first time, a brief half-smile appeared on Avon's face. It always amused him when she accused him of that. He knew he was being irrational, not because of Anna, but for Cally. For her, he would gladly do things that made no logical sense to his own survival. "Our positions appear to be reversed."

"I learned from the best," she said lightly.

Avon let go of her hand and reached up to touch her face gently. "It appears I should as well." For the time they had left, he wanted to give her what she deserved from him.

"Avon, _can_ you let go?"

"I…will try." For her, he would even let go of Anna. "I want to go back to our cabin. Both of us."

Cally wanted that as well but she had doubts. "Are you sure you're strong enough?"

Avon deliberately relaxed his barriers a fraction, allowing her to sense more of him but only a controlled part. "If you help."

The touch of Cally's mind into his caused them both to gasp. Each knew what the other wanted.

Chapter Three

The superiority in Sester's tone made Argus's fists clench in anger. He was normally controlled but for some reason, this man with his easy smiles made him lose that control very easily. It was like those times that would cause him to hate himself afterwards; when he became a dangerous killer full of the power of death and the rage was close to the surface. Not the disciplined soldier he always was, but a creature that scared him; a being capable of doing things that he had fought most of his life.

Reya saw the danger signs and said in warning, "Argus."

"Stay out of this, Reya!" Argus was angry that she was trying to protect Sester again. The smug look on his opponent's face made Argus's blood boil.

Reya said reasonably, "This is not going to help Avon."

"I know what's going to help Avon and that's having _him," _he jabbed his finger like a knife towards Sester, "Off this ship!" There was a ringing sensation in his ears, each peal made the anger feel good and filled him with an energy that was bursting to come out in action.

Reya stepped quickly between the two men and squarely faced Argus. "You…are…_not_ going to do this."

"Or what?" The challenger in Argus reared its ugly head; this creature needed to win. "What will you do if I hurt him? Are you going to defend him, like you always do? Are you going to _hurt_ _me_?" In a corner of his mind, Argus realized that he was being unreasonable and that he was headed for trouble like a pursuit ship caught in a gravity well. _I should not be doing this_. It was a quiet voice that was drowned by the rage that was overwhelming him. The looks on the face of his enemy, when Reya wasn't looking, did not help.

Reya shook her head, "I'm not going to do this with you."

Argus snarled, "You _did_ it, _with him_." _What am I doing?_ The quiet, reasonable voice struggled to be heard.

Reya's guilt flared up at his charge, as well as anger. She fell silent.

Sester clapped his hands slowly; it was a sharp and cynical sound. "Very good. You amaze me, Commander. Is _this_ how you're going to help Avon? By beating me up, like you did before and bullying someone you supposedly love?"

Reya's eyes flashed with shock and disbelief. "Like _before_?"

It was Argus's turn to have a burst of guilt.

Sester answered Reya but his eyes were looking triumphantly at Argus, "Yes, didn't he tell you?"

It had been very easy for Sester; just a harmless word or two at the appropriate times and the looks calculated to annoy and aggravate an increasingly frustrated opponent. Argus may have been brilliant at military tactics, but on a personal level, he was woefully inexperienced. In many ways he was an innocent when it came to the devious ways of humans and was no match for a psychostrategist.

Reya turned to Argus. Her face was troubled. The tone in her voice was almost a sound of pleading as she asked something she hoped was not true. "Is this true? After you promised me you wouldn't?"

Argus knew he had let her down. He wished that he could turn back time and undo what was going to cause her pain. The look on his rival's face caused Argus to say instead, "I told you that I wouldn't, _IF _he did not pose a threat to the security of this ship."

A slow reluctant anger was building up inside Reya; along with a feeling of disappointment and betrayal of trust. "You lied to me. You had already decided that he was a threat when you made the promise. You always intended to beat him up."

"No, I didn't."

"You beat him up, Argus! How can you say you didn't?"

Argus still didn't understand how he lost control that day, but he found it impossible to admit it while his nemesis was standing there with an amused look on his face. "Just because I did, doesn't mean that I lied to you. I didn't plan to beat him up when I went to his cabin to talk to him."

Reya said, "Alright, you didn't plan to beat him up. It just happened." It was hard to believe that someone as disciplined as Argus could let his emotions rule his fists. If she had not witnessed that one troubling incident that had made him not act like himself, she would have found it impossible to accept that it could happen. This did not resolve their issue of trust though.

Reya said acidly, "But did you also accidentally _not tell me_? For days? For weeks_?_ Was that also not planned? Why didn't you tell me?" She tilted her head towards Sester and saw the serious and troubled look on his face. "Why did neither one of you see fit to tell me?" Reya challenged Argus, "Did you threaten to beat him up again if he told me? Is that why?"

Any defence of Sester by Reya always made things worse for Argus. His eyes were hard and unyielding as he said, "Don't paint him out to be the victim here, Reya. You seem to forget that he's a dangerous man. He works for Servalan. He cannot be trusted."

Tempers were definitely getting out of control for both of them. Reya said angrily, "_**You**_ beat _**him**_ up. The only one who seems to be dangerous here, is you!"

Sester felt as if he was winning a very important battle and he scarcely had to do anything. He had been trying hard to be good, for her sake. Manipulating Reya had been out of the question, he could not do that to her, but he had no such compunctions about Argus. The man was his rival and both of them were dangerous in their own ways. Sester had been looking for a way to even the score between them. Argus had walked right into this one.

Sester was enjoying the fireworks but he decided that it was time to step in before the situation deteriorated further. The battle was not over yet, but the damage had already been done. He could afford to wait. The relationship between these two was starting to fracture, but he was under no illusions. Reya and Argus's bond with each other was still strong. He wondered how miserable these two could make each other before they reached the breaking point. Their inability to communicate effectively with one another was their weakest point, as well as their equally strong wills. It was not that they were incapable of it. Under the right encouragement, each was quite capable of it. He had done it often enough with Reya.

Sester was very good at being the sympathetic and caring listener. That was why she was conflicted about him when her experience told her not to trust him.

At first Sester considered Reya's irrational wish to believe in him predictable, even inevitable. It was a situation he had faced many times with women. Once they had a taste of his caring side, they couldn't let him go. It was a natural ability he learned to be very careful with. Sticky and overly emotional situations were useful in his work but not as desirable for his personal life.

With Reya, things had quickly become very personal. Over time, he learned that her response to him was something different than what he had experienced before. She cared about him and genuinely wanted to believe in him. It was something much more than gratitude for what he had done for her. It went beyond the potency of his natural charm. Reya valued him for himself despite what she saw as his weaknesses. It had nothing to do with how he impacted her life. He didn't know why, but this had made it hard for him to let her go.

Here she was defending him against someone she loved. For a moment, it made him feel...he wasn't quite sure what it was, but it wasn't good. _Why should __**I**__ feel terrible?_ _Argus is only getting what he deserves. _

He tried to tell himself that Reya would have found out eventually and she would be as angry as she was now. And hurt.

An inexplicable impulse caused him to say to her, "Reya, don't be angry with Argus. He was only trying to protect you from me."

Reya turned to him in surprise. She said, "Stay out of this. It has nothing to do with you."

Sester was as surprised by his own words as she was. He said, "If it weren't for me, none of this would be happening." He knew why he was doing this; he could not bear seeing her hurt.

She shook her head. "You don't understand." Looking pointedly at Argus, she said, "This has to do with trust."

Argus's face looked pained and he opened his mouth to say something but Sester said, "Reya, please give him a chance. Argus made a mistake." He looked pointedly at his nemesis. "He makes many mistakes."

Sester knew the only way to help Reya, was to assist his rival out of this mess.

Argus's lips curled in anger at what Sester was doing. He said with quiet menace. "Stay out of this, Sester."

Sester wished the man would understand what he was trying to do and cooperate for once. "I don't think I will. Since you have an inability to fix this without making it worse..."

Argus said with great cynicism, "Don't try to use this situation to make things better for yourself."

Sester had a smile on his face. He could not resist the open challenge between them either. "If I wanted to make things better for myself, I would do _nothing_."

Argus said angrily, "And what is _that _supposed to mean?"

"Do I really have to explain it to you?"

Reya said, "Sester, please leave us."

He turned to her. "No. I am doing this for you as well as for him."

Argus added sardonically, "You mean for yourself."

Reya said, "Argus. Stop it!" She looked at both men and then said, "Get out. Both of you."

Argus said, "Reya, please..."

Sester said, "But..."

Reya pointed to the door. "Now! Both of you. I can't talk to either one of you now if you both insist on making this a contest. I will not be the prize for your male pride!"

Argus said in a subdued voice, "But this is my cabin."

Reya asked with a tone that made Argus wince, "Are you saying that you want _me _to leave instead?"

Argus said in a mortified voice, "Nooo." His head hung down. "I'll leave."

Sester was also subdued. "My apologies."

The two men felt ashamed of themselves, in their rivalry, they had pushed things too far and had hurt someone they both cared about.

Argus made sure that Sester made the first move to leave. As Sester passed him, he could hear the other man saying in a barely heard voice, "Don't be a fool. Talk to her."

Argus's anger flared, "What did you say?"

Sester looked back at him just as the cabin door opened. There was no challenge or aggression in his eyes, only sincere concern. "She needs you to talk to her."

Sester had never used the full weight of his ability to persuade on Argus before.

Argus hesitated with indecision and confused anger. The man he hated was not acting like an enemy now.

Sester took one last look at Reya and said, "You need to be honest with her. Don't hurt her anymore." With that he left and didn't look back.

Argus stared at the door as it slid closed. It was hard to take advice from his enemy, especially when he was right. He was almost afraid to turn around to face Reya again. "He's right. I _have _hurt you and I'm sorry. I don't know what comes over me when he's around. I feel..." There were so many things he wanted to express but he didn't know how to say it. He was always afraid that if he opened his mouth, everything would come out wrong and only make matters worse.

When Reya didn't say anything, he asked fearfully, "Is he right? Have I made too many mistakes with you? Is this one too many?"

Argus sounded so miserable and insecure that Reya's face softened. The deep regret in his eyes made her want to reach out to him. She could never stay angry with him for long. Her voice was gentle and reassuring as she said, "No. Don't ever think that. I'm angry now, but it doesn't mean that I love you any less. We just need to cool down for a bit before either one of us makes things worse. We've both made mistakes."

"No. I make all the mistakes and you've been wonderful. I don't deserve you. I don't know why you stay with me."

Reya went over to the doorway where he stood and placed her hand on his arm. "That's why. Because you deserve someone better than I am, but you don't see it."

"I don't understand. How could you say that after all of the things I've done? I'm not perfect. I keep saying the wrong things. I..."

Reya reached up to brush his face. "You're perfect for me."

"I don't th..."

Reya put her fingers to his lips. "Don't say any more. Just know that you are to me. I want you to understand something, Argus. No matter what happens with Sester, you are stuck with me. The only way for you to be free of me is if you walk away. I never will. When I thought I had lost you, I stopped wanting to live. You are that important to me. If you had not given me a charge to keep the others safe, I don't know what I would have done. I understand why you hate Sester, but he helped me deal with some of the pain. Neither of us knew that you were still alive. He was genuinely trying to help. For that, we both owe him but there was never any question that he would replace even a small fraction of what you are to me. I regret that we slept together but it was a circumstance that didn't give us any choice. It never meant anything to me."

Argus lifted his eyes to meet hers. Reya always knew how to make him feel better. No matter what she said though, he knew that he did not deserve her. "I understand about Sester. I do. In my head. But..." How could he explain the war that went on inside of him whenever his opponent smiled smugly at him?

Reya sighed with resignation. "Another part of you takes over. Yes, I understand."

"I don't want it to."

"I know."

"I will try harder."

Reya nodded.

Argus asked with hope of a different answer, "Do you really want me to leave?"

"Yes, for now. I think it will do us both good."

"Can I come back later?"

"No. I will let you know when you can."

Argus said, "As long as you don't hate me."

Reya sighed. "I could never hate you."

"I _am _sorry for what happened and for not telling you."

"Are you?"

Argus hesitated. "I can't say that I'm completely sorry for beating him up, but I am sorry for what I did to you. I should have been honest with you."

"We both have things to work on with each other and there is much we have to work out but you'd better go now."

Argus didn't know what she could possibly need to work on but he said, "Alright." He decided that he should head in the opposite direction that Sester went.

**********

Avon's stare was starting to make Vila feel uncomfortable. The man did not seem to blink. Avon finally looked down at the chessboard, made a move with his bishop and said, "Check." His eyes lifted up to stare at Vila again.

"Yes?" asked a flustered Vila.

Avon said, "You're in check. Again."

Vila looked down at the board as if he had forgotten that they were playing. "Oh." He tried to remember what strategy he had been following, with very little success.

Avon said with impassive indifference, "Take all the time you need, since you appear to have nothing else to do than to lose to me."

Vila glanced at Avon and then shifted his king to move it out of danger. "It's not going to work. You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Are you quite sure?" Avon moved a piece to attack Vila's king again and said, "Check."

Vila looked at the offending piece and said, "I wasn't talking about the chess game. The only way I'm going to leave is if Cally comes back. Nothing you say is going to change my mind."

A brief look of irritation appeared on Avon's face. He had been right, Cally was not going to leave him alone until she knew that he wasn't going to kill himself.

Vila said with a light smirk, "Besides it's hard to be rude when you've given up calling me a fool."

Avon asked, "How about a wager?"

"Eh?" Vila always found the idea of a wager tempting, but it was the last thing he had been expecting. "What kind of wager?"

"A chess wager. You can stay if you win. _When I win_, you will give me time alone. Neither one of us will tell Cally. I promise that I will not do anything that she would not want me to do. Agreed?"

"I don't know," said Vila uncertainly.

"Unless you don't believe me or you don't think that you could win."

"It's not that."

"Then what's the problem?"

Vila looked at the door through which Cally had exited earlier and said, "Cally will kill me if she found out I left you alone. I like to keep on the good side of people who can do that."

Avon asked dryly, "Do you plan to be afraid of _every _woman on this ship?"

Vila said defensively, "I wouldn't call it being afraid."

Avon said sarcastically, "You wouldn't."

Vila frowned at the insult and then a wide smile lit up his face. "You know, it really _isn't _going to work, Avon. You might as well give up."

Avon was staring hard at him again. Vila shifted uncomfortably in his seat and then looked down at the chessboard. He moved a piece to block Avon's check and said in return, "Check."

The hint of a sly smile crossed Avon's face. "Are you taking up my wager, Vila? Do you honestly think you have a hope of winning against me?"

"What makes you think that I'm going to lose?"

"The last five games."

"And what if I win?"

"You have to win first."

Vila tried not to look too nervous.

**********

Sester sat alone in his new observer craft in one of the ancillary cargo holds. His mind was deep in thought as he planned what he was going to say to Servalan. Something was bothering him but he couldn't identify what it was yet.

Thoughts of Reya and the encounter with Argus in their cabin kept interrupting his concentration. His own actions to help Argus had surprised him. Most of his own behaviour when Reya was around amazed him. She made things happen that he never expected. She defied everything that he could calculate or strategize.

He smiled wryly at these thoughts as he familiarized himself with some of the new communications technology in the ship. It was time to put aside personal issues, at least until after he talked to Servalan. He could not afford any distractions when facing his employer.

The Athol military engineers had already gone over his craft thoroughly and reported that it contained no 'surprises'. Avon wanted to do it himself but Cally had refused to allow him return to work yet. Cally could be very tough when she wanted to be.

Sester's mouth held a bitter taste as he thought of what Servalan had tried to use him to do to Avon. In the end, she had achieved what she wanted, despite his attempts to prevent it.

Sester's eyes hardened. A puppeteer did not easily submit to being used as a puppet. He did _**not **_like being used in someone else's plots. It was time to regain some control with this woman. She had to learn that playing with a psychostrategist was not something to be taken lightly, not if she was the President of the rapidly expanding Federation.

He did not believe everything Servalan had told him about Anna. Sester wished that he had been able to do some investigation before everything came out. Avon had been too impatient and Argus had burst in before he could explain to Reya that he did not trust everything that Servalan had told him.

Sester sighed. He hoped it was not too late for the truth when he finally discovered it. For now, Avon would have to endure the consequences of the information he had not been prepared for; whether it was the truth, the half-truth, or a complete fabrication by Servalan.

Sester had his own suspicions. He was determined to find out the truth.

The onboard computer made the required relay connections and the Federation President, in an elegant red and white pantsuit, said immediately, "I expected more frequent reports now that I have given you a new ship."

Sester inclined his head slightly and said politely, "My apologies, Madame President."

Servalan's voice was one of a superior dressing down a subordinate. "Mere apologies are not adequate."

Sester smiled pleasantly. "How can I make it up to you?"

"Tell me what I want to hear."

"Don't I always?"

There wasn't an ounce of sarcasm in Servalan's cold voice. "I was beginning to think that you had forgotten how."

Sester gave her an easy smile and said with light deference, "I wouldn't dare forget, Madame President. I do value my life."

"You have nothing to fear from me," she said with the smoothness of a snake luring a prey into a comfortable lair.

"So long as I remember who holds all the power?"

"Of course." Servalan kept a severe face as she regarded him from the screen. "Does Avon?"

Sester's relaxed and pleasant manner slowly changed. "Your message was delivered."

Servalan leaned forward towards the screen and asked impatiently, "Well?"

For a moment, Sester's face was blank, caught between his continued game with the dangerous Federation President and his disgust with what she wanted to do to Avon. His words were measured as he responded to her query. "If your purpose was to kill Avon, then you didn't succeed."

"You know that wasn't my intention," Servalan said with annoyance. "How did he take the news?" Her voice took on that strange mixture of concern and eagerness she always had when contemplating an Avon who was hurting.

Sester said in a controlled voice, "Not well. He suffered two heart attacks; once when talking to Grant, the second when hearing _your _story about Anna. I must congratulate you. It was very well done, Madame President. You prepared him using Grant and when he thought that it was over, when he was already weakened, you hit him with the real blow."

The odd mix of emotions on Servalan's face turned to another strange combination of triumph and compassion. "I never expected the heart attacks."

Sester said with professional and non-personal detachment, "You should have, Madame President. You have extensive files on Avon's physical and mental condition. This should have been anticipated in your plans. If you had told me what your purpose was, I would have advised you against this course of action. Unless, as I have said, you intended to kill him."

Servalan eyes narrowed and held his, as if she was trying to read what his intentions were. "You of all people know what my intentions are concerning Avon."

"Do I?" He leaned towards the screen. "Do you?" There were no easy smiles now. Every word was like a weapon that cut deep to where the truth was hidden.

"What are you trying to say?" Servalan asked in a voice that would have come out like a hiss, if she was really a snake. Predators did not like it when their prey suddenly exhibited predatory instincts of their own. Sester was such a charmer that it had been easy to forget what he was.

"If you want to play with Avon, that is your prerogative. As you have said many times, he belongs to you. But you have placed me on this ship for a reason. One of them is to ensure that Avon is taken care of and that he remains under your control." Sester's eyes dared her to deny this.

Servalan did not. "Go on."

"Give him time to recover, Servalan. Before you kill him. Your games push him too much to the edge. Be careful that you don't push him so far that he cannot come back."

The heavy but professional warning in Sester's manner filled Servalan with great concern. Her voice betrayed her fear. "Tell me what happened?"

Sester told her, "He wants to die."

Servalan's face paled. "He tried to kill himself?"

"No." Sester watched her carefully as he said, "The only reason he doesn't, is because of Cally."

Servalan's eyes narrowed again at the mention of Cally. Her voice was so cold that it could have frozen the space between them. "She has her uses."

"Yes. She does, but you already knew that."

Servalan said ruthlessly, "When her usefulness ends, I will have her killed."

"Wouldn't she remain more useful as leverage against Avon? We know that he is willing to do anything for her." Servalan had just confirmed one of Sester's suspicions.

There was murder in Servalan's eyes. "She cannot be allowed to live."

"If you kill her, Avon _will _die," he warned her.

"It is not your place to tell me what to do. Only to advise," Servalan said with a menace that was icy and smooth.

"I would never presume to tell you to do anything, Madame President."

Servalan paused in thought and then she said, "Very well. I will give him time to recover. I expect regular reports on his progress."

"Of course." Sester had achieved two of the things he wanted to do. The rest would have to wait for another time.

Servalan reached for her panel to cut the communications channel but hesitated. She asked him with curiosity, "Why do you refer to it as _'my story_ about Anna'?"

_Three. It certainly took you long enough. _Sester asked, "Isn't it?"

"Are you implying that I fabricated the story?"

Sester's smile returned. "I am not _implying _anything."

"What have you been doing?" Servalan needed intelligent people to serve her, but they invariably developed minds of their own. She did not like her tools acting according to their own agendas.

"It occurs to me that you could not possibly have known some of the things you told me."

For the first time during their conversation, Servalan smiled. "Clever of you to notice but I do not pay you to analyze me."

"Call it a pleasurable exercise."

Servalan's warning this time was light, almost playful. "And a dangerous one."

"That's part of the pleasure, Madame President." Sester's voice contained a relaxed charm that hid a new resolve. _I will not let you destroy Avon and Cally_.

**********

If Avon's stares were calculated to fluster him, Vila thought that he was doing a very good job. He was playing the game of his life, running his few remaining pieces around the board, just one step ahead of a firing squad. The training sessions with Sester were proving very helpful.

Vila was surprised that his side was still alive. At first, his bravado had quickly turned to dismay as his confidence was chipped away with each piece Avon removed from the board. Vila refused to lose though. There was more at stake here than just a game to be lost. He realized he should never have taken Avon's bet.

From Sester, Vila recognized that he had reached the end game almost half an hour ago. He wondered how long end games were supposed to last. Half an hour seemed like an awfully long time but each time he thought that there were no moves left, his stubborn mind gave him another one. Vila moved his king again.

Avon looked at the move and then stared at him again. Without taking his eyes off Vila's, Avon reached out and lay down his king.

Vila looked down in confusion, trying to understand what Avon had just done. "But you're winning."

"It may appear that way."

"You're going to have to explain that to me." He still could not see why Avon had conceded the game to him.

"We could play for another hour and still be in relatively the same position we are in now."

Vila was still mystified. "But that means that we tied."

"Under normal circumstances."

"Alright, you're really going to have explain that to me."

"You have never won against me before. To achieve a draw when you have been in an end-game position for the past twenty-one minutes, is an incredible achievement."

"It still doesn't mean that I've won," said Vila stubbornly.

"You have. When I concede my king, the game is over and you achieve what you set out to do. You can stay. I will not compromise you with Cally."

"One of these days, I'm going to beat you. It won't just be a draw."

"I don't doubt that, but not today." Avon's eyes held amusement. "Your skill level has increased significantly since the last time we played. Have you been studying?"

"Well, yes." Vila wasn't sure how Avon would react to his playing chess with Sester. Or that Sester had been teaching him.

"Out with it, Vila."

"I've been playing with Sester."

Avon was staring at him again. Vila wondered why it was that he could never tell what Avon was thinking when he did that. He tried to defend his actions. "You did tell me to keep an eye on him."

"I did." Avon looked down at the finished game and contemplated the final configuration of the pieces.

Vila asked tentatively, "You're not mad that he's been helping me, are you?"

"Why would I be?"

"Well, you don't like him."

Avon laughed. "That would be a mild understatement of my attitude towards Sester. I don't mind if you use him. Just don't let him fool you."

"Avon."

"Hm?" Avon was still studying the pieces on the chess board.

"You're not going to try to kill yourself, are you?"

Avon looked up at him. This time he wasn't staring at him disconcertingly.

Vila said, "I know you don't want to hear this and I don't know much about Anna, but I do know Cally. She's ten times better than..."

Avon looked away from him. His jaw had tightened. It was the only evidence of a reaction.

Vila hoped that he hadn't said something Avon wasn't ready to face. Cally had warned him not to say anything to cause him stress. "Look, Avon. I didn't mean to..."

Avon said, "You're right."

"I am? Of course I am. You shouldn't be hung up over Anna. She tried to kill you and she was spying on you for the Federation."

"I know."

"Cally would die before she did anything like that."

Avon got up from his chair and said, "I know that, Vila." He began pacing slowly and rubbed his left wrist with his right hand.

Vila stood up and watched him. "Then I don't understand. Why are you treating her this way? She cares about you."

Avon stopped with his back towards him. "Don't pursue this, Vila. I know what I'm doing."

"It doesn't look like it."

Avon turned to face him and said, "I'm tired. I'm going to lie down."

"Alright. I know when someone's telling me to shut up, but I still think you don't know what you're doing."

Avon said, "Let me worry about that."

"Yes, but do you really want Cally to worry? You know she does. All the time."

The corner of Avon's eyes seemed to crinkle in a wince but it quickly disappeared. He said, "I'm going to get some rest." Avon went over to the bed and lay down without another word.

Vila sat down again as he watched Avon close his eyes. He said in a quieter voice, "I know. I know. I'll shut up now." There was a worried look on Vila's face as Avon pretended to get some rest. _Cally was right, we can't leave you alone._

There was something wrong with Avon. No matter how much he tried to appear otherwise, something had changed. Vila had a bad feeling.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Four

Cally had her head propped up on one hand as she watched Avon sleep. She drew her other hand down his back, lightly touching the scars that he stubbornly refused to allow her to remove. Even unconscious, he flinched when her fingers brushed against the ugly marks. She knew that the scars would only disappear when the deeper psychological wounds healed. With each day that passed, she despaired the time would never come.

On the surface, when he was not being stressed, Avon seemed perfectly fine. The others did not see the mornings. They were not witnesses to the times when he retreated to the refuge of their cabin. He had tried to keep those times from her too, but had been unable to block the overwhelming emotions from reaching her. The first time had been a shock when she had raced back to their cabin and found him curled in a dark corner, his eyes wild with panic and hopelessness.

Cally's eyes hardened, she promised herself that one day, Servalan would be made to pay for all of the things she had done. The destruction of Cally's own people was still an open wound that had barely healed. There was too much blood on that woman's hands and too many atrocities committed in the name of the Federation. For Cally, Avon was a broken reminder of all of the lives Servalan had destroyed.

Servalan had a hold on him that would not be broken until he killed her. Cally knew Avon had an irrational hope that when that day arrived, he would finally be able to reclaim who he was, the man Servalan had torn to pieces and tried to rebuild into someone she wanted. She had almost succeeded. The only things Avon had left were the fragmented pieces of the person he once was; a puzzle he was trying to put together again, only to find that he couldn't.

In some ways, the Avon he had started to rebuild, was someone Cally had always known that he was underneath. It was the part of himself that he had kept hidden from others but she had always been able to sense. She hated to admit it but in some ways, Servalan had done Avon a favour. Having his life taken away had caused a state that made Avon realize that he could no longer live without others. He had no choice except to accept other people's strength because his own was something he could no longer rely on.

Cally knew that Avon hated that he needed other people in order to survive. For a man who had experienced so much betrayal in his life, trusting another person was the most difficult and terrifying choice thing he could make. People were unpredictable elements, full of irrational feelings and impulses that made their actions irrational and inconsistent.

For awhile, it seemed as if he was starting to recover. He had begun opening up to her; sharing the causes of his nightmares and admitting to himself the source of the worst traumas that still paralyzed him.

That was before they had found out about Anna.

Ever since Sester had succeeded in waking him up, Avon had shut himself off from her. Her sense of him was like those of the others now. The only times she was able to get 'closer' to Avon was in the moments just after a nightmare, when his mind was too confused and disorganized to block her, when he was suffering from a panic attack or when they were physically intimate. They were the only occasions when his rational mind was not fully in control.

He had been carefully avoiding situations that would result in the strong emotional reactions he did not want her to read. There was something he was keeping from her.

_Is it because the news about Anna is too painful? Is that why you've cut yourself off from your emotions? Does it hurt too much to feel? _When faced with something he could not handle, was he going back to familiar coping patterns? _But they never worked, Avon. They're only temporary solutions. It only makes the pain worse in the end, when you can no longer ignore. Then you have to face it alone because you've pushed everyone away. Haven't you learned? It is easier to face the horrors when someone shares it with you. I want to help you, Avon. Why won't you let me? _

Avon stirred briefly. She put her arms around him and hugged him close. It was nearing the morning cycle. The drugs that enabled him to sleep without the nightmares would be wearing off soon.

_Is it because you want to protect me? Is that why you've cut yourself off? I'm not afraid, Avon. Let me be your strength. You gave up your life so that Servalan would not hurt me. But in doing so, you have been hurt deeply. This strength I have belongs to you._

Cally wished that she could show him the things that Aurons learned from their ties to each other.

Avon stirred again. She sensed that he was starting to wake. Cally rested her head on his shoulder and tried to reach his mind. The warmth of his body was comforting but she knew the peace was not going to last. The deterioration of Avon's mind meant that he would slip into a nightmare the moment the drugs wore off. It always happened now; it was no longer an occasional occurrence.

Avon's body stiffened and a groan escaped his lips. It was too late. The only thing she could do now was to hold him close and be there when he finally came out of it.

**********

Reya was just about to exit her cabin when the door buzzer sounded. She passed her hand over the panel control and the door slid open. A nervous Argus stood outside with a tray of food in his hands. For a second, he seemed stunned to see her, even though he was the one who had come to her cabin.

"Good...good morning. I thought...you might want some breakfast." His eyes were looking at the tray in front of him, he seemed afraid to look at her for fear that she would reject his gesture.

Reya said, "I was about to go for breakfast."

"Oh. Then..." Argus seemed perplexed at her answer and was uncertain as to the proper response. He had been expecting her to thank him for the breakfast or to tell him to leave. "Maybe...you want to get your own breakfast? I guess I should have asked first." He decided that he had done something wrong again and was about to apologize. "I..."

Reya took pity on him and said, "That looks good." She looked down at the full tray and recognized it as the breakfast he normally ate. Her stomach rebelled at eating so much but she didn't want to discourage him.

Argus finally looked up. There was still uncertainty on his face as to whether he had done the right thing. "I thought I'd save you some time."

She said encouragingly, "That was very thoughtful of you." Reya stepped aside. "Why don't you come in?"

His face lit up in fearful hope. "Really? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I can just drop it off and..."

She said firmly, "Come in, Argus."

"Oh." He stepped in tentatively and looked around the cabin as if it was a foreign environment rather than a cabin they normally shared.

"The table would be fine," said Reya when he seemed to need more direction as to what to do next.

He put the tray on the table and stood looking at her as she sat down and said, "Why don't you sit down too?"

Argus sat down opposite her and watched as she arranged the items on the tray.

Reya realized quickly that despite the load of food on the tray, there was only one serving. She asked, "Argus, have you already eaten?"

Every question seemed to confuse him this morning. "No?" he answered hesitantly, as if it was a test and he wasn't sure if he was giving the correct response.

Reya tried to understand what was on his mind. "Were you hoping that I would invite you in this morning when you brought me breakfast?"

"Uh...I...was..." There was a hesitant look on his face as he admitted, "Yes."

"Were you hoping that we would do something else besides eating?"

This question greatly perplexed Argus. He wasn't sure what she was getting at. The offer of food wasn't supposed to lead to something complicated, it was just food. _Damned Sester! _"I was just thinking that you could eat."

Reya sighed and asked, "Were you planning to sit and watch me eat?" She buttered a piece of toast and put some jam on it.

"Oh." He realized that she might not like being stared at while she ate.

Before he could work himself towards panic, Reya said, "Why don't we share? There's a lot of food here." She handed him the piece of toast.

He took it and said gratefully, "Thank you." He took a bite of it. It seemed to taste better than any toast he had before.

"You don't need to thank me. You're the one who brought me breakfast." Reya picked up another piece of bread from the large pile on the plate.

Argus put his piece of toast down on the table and stared at it.

Reya asked puzzled, "Is something wrong with it? Too much jam?"

"No." There was a faintly guilty and anguished look on his face.

She was working from perplexed to being worried. "Argus, what's wrong?"

"I..." He looked at her, took a deep breath and said, "This wasn't my idea. Bringing you breakfast, I mean. I _should _have thought of it but...it was Sester." His eyes were still focused on the lonely piece of toast on the table.

Reya asked with surprise, "Sester?"

Argus said, "He came to the gym this morning..."

"The gym?" She couldn't think of a circumstance that would cause Sester to want to enter an exercise facility unless she was in it.

Argus looked embarrassed. "I slept there last night."

"Argus!" she exclaimed in shock. "There are other empty cabins. You could have used my old one or one of the guest cabins."

"I know. It didn't feel right."

Reya sighed again. Argus had the right meaning but the execution required much work. She wondered what Sester's intentions were for being helpful. Even though she wanted to believe that he had good intentions too, she knew that she couldn't assume it. She said, "I'm surprised that you listened to him."

"I didn't want to." It was humiliating admitting that his enemy had better ideas on how to make Reya happy than he did. "But...it was a good idea."

Reya asked, "Making me happy was more important that your pride?"

Argus didn't look happy but he said, "Yes. Even if it means listening to _him_. But _only _if he has a good idea." There was a rebellious look on his face. "I still don't trust him."

Reya picked up the steaming cup from the tray and handed it to him. "Have some coffee."

Argus looked at it hesitantly, wondering if the hot drink had some hidden meaning. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"You're being honest, that's all I ask. I'm not mad at you."

Argus accepted the coffee and took a sip. It was delicious. He drank half the cup before putting it down. Argus quickly picked it up again and set it in front of Reya. He said apologetically, "If you want, I could go get more."

"No. That's fine. This isn't enough food for you if we share. You normally eat all of this."

"It's alright. I don't feel hungry." He munched a few bites of the toast. "Reya, what do you usually have for breakfast?"

Reya sighed again.

**********

Sester sat in the crowded dining area watching the flow of activity around him, without paying much attention. The room was full of soldiers eating or in the process of getting food.

He drank from his cup of coffee and made a face. It was lukewarm. He pondered whether he should go back to bed and wake up at a more decent hour.

"You're up early." Vila had entered the dining room and came over to his table. He was rubbing tired eyes.

Sester said jokingly, "You look as awake as I feel."

"I need some coffee and maybe a stim or two," said Vila. "I'll be right back." He headed off to the food dispensers.

Sester cleared some space on the table. He realized that it must be Vila's turn to work the morning shift on the flight deck. Vila came back with a tray of food and two cups.

Sester asked with eyebrows raised in question, "Two?"

"Cally will never give me a stim just so I could wake up in the morning." Vila picked up the mug and drained the entire cup before putting it back down.

"Did that help?" asked an amused Sester.

"Ask me after the second one," said Vila as he picked up a bran muffin and bit into it. "I thought you never wake up until after all this lot is finished their breakfast first?"

"You're right." Sester picked up his mug, thought better of it and put it down again.

"You couldn't sleep?" asked Vila as he ate more of the muffin.

Sester asked with curiosity, "Why don't you ask what I'm up to at this hour?"

"I don't like being suspicious before my second cup of coffee," said Vila. He picked up the other mug.

"You're starting on your second cup now," remarked Sester.

Vila looked into the hot liquid and said, "I don't have to." He put it down and took another bite of the muffin.

Sester had turned his full attention to studying Vila. "It's only a cup of coffee. Besides, I thought you needed the second cup to wake up."

"It'll keep. By the way, thanks for the chess lessons. I nearly beat Avon the other day."

"You did?"

"Well, it was a draw but he gave me the game." Vila finished off the last of his muffin.

"That's surprising."

"You don't think I could win?"

Sester smiled. "You should have more confidence in yourself, Vila. You could be quite a good player if you kept applying yourself."

"I suppose." Vila traced a finger on the handle of the second mug. He was remembering the game with Avon and the troubling feeling he had.

Sester asked immediately, "Is something wrong?"

Vila stared up at him and asked in return, "What's wrong with Avon?"

Sester's reaction was controlled. "Why are you asking me?"

"Cally thinks that you know or she wouldn't keep asking you."

Sester looked at the mug that Vila was still playing with. "Are you sure you don't want to finish that second cup now?"

"I don't want to be suspicious. I just hope that you know," said Vila.

For some reason, Sester found himself believing Vila. "You're worried about Avon."

"We all are and I know you are too. Can you help him?"

"What do you think I can do? Neither Avon nor Cally want my help. And even if they do, they don't trust me enough to accept any help I could give them."

"You're a psychostrategist. I thought you could get anyone to do anything?"

Sester said, "That may be, but that does not mean that I'm a miracle worker."

"Avon needs one," said Vila. He said with concern, "It's supposed to be Cally's turn to take this shift but she can't anymore."

Sester's mind made the connection instantly. "Avon's been waking up to the nightmares?"

"Can you help him? You know what Servalan did to him. You must have some ideas," said Vila. There was an imploring tone in his voice.

"I'll see what I can do."

Chapter Four

The command crew was gathered on the flight deck along with Lieutenant Dain. They were talking about their next destination.

Cally had surreptitiously been watching Avon during the discussions and opening up her awareness of him as far as she could. She knew it would irritate him further to have evidence of what she was doing. Since this morning, Avon had been in an increasingly contentious mood. They had a huge argument earlier and from his interaction with the crew, it seemed that he was intent on being difficult with everyone.

She knew that the mornings were getting to him. Waking up to the nightmares left him in a weak and vulnerable state that he hated. The knowledge that he was constantly being watched and was never allowed alone made things even worse. Cally wished that it wasn't necessary, but she felt that they had no choice.

In reality, she was surprised that it had taken this long for him to show the stress of losing his privacy and independence. She had expected to deal with this much sooner.

Vila tried to not sound too enthusiastic as he said, "I like the sounds of Kuriam."

Avon said cynically, "Your decision has nothing to do with the valuable crystals there of course."

Vila asked defensively, "What's wrong with saving the universe _and _doing a little commerce on the side? Don't tell me you're not interested in the crystals."

"Not for the same reasons _you _are," said Avon. He was clearly insinuating something.

Cally had been running interference by diverting the flow of conversation, to Avon's increasing annoyance. She asked, "Why are these crystals so valuable?"

"Their importance lies in their ability to accurately reflect directed signals without distortion. It's used in the most advanced long-range communications technology. The possibilities have yet to be fully explored. I was starting to look into the potential use of Kuriam crystals for the Acquitar project in order solve some fundamental difficulties before I decided to work for myself."

The others may have been bored by the details, but Cally noticed Avon's tone slowly changing, the irritability faded. She had seen this happen before and had been hoping that this diversion would work when she asked her innocent question.

When Avon's head was occupied with the scientific and technical world he felt most comfortable in, his tensions eased and he became a different person; eager, interested and open to sharing. He seemed to want others to appreciate the beauty he saw in a world that made sense to him.

Cally wondered what Avon would have been like if he had stayed in that world, full of people who shared the same values and interests that he did. When he was working with the scientists and engineers on Pleasure City, he seemed to come alive. He had revelled in the debates, found joy in the discovery of new things and was like a child in a confectionary establishment when he could experiment to his heart's content. The occasional mischievous humour he shared with her, became even more evident.

It explained a lot about his actions after Star One, when he could finally pursue his own path; the desire to investigate the sopron rock and even the way he chose to fight the Federation afterwards. He had sought out different avenues rather than follow the militaristic ways of Blake. Despite his knowledge of weapons and explosives, of all the equipment he could have improved on the _Liberator_ and the _Scorpio_, he never produced anything with offensive potential. He preferred to fix Dorian's teleport technology and increase the speed of the engines rather than improving the sorry weaponry systems of the _Scorpio_.

Avon had never been the warrior at heart, he was an explorer and a man of science and technology. That was the way he dealt with the world, with infinite curiosity and desire to have things make logical sense. It was the way he was most comfortable with.

The Liberator had been a dream for him. Whenever Blake wasn't demanding his attentions, he was invariably found exploring some aspect of the ship's technology; taking things apart and putting them back together again.

She wouldn't be surprised if Avon could rebuild most of the ship if he had the equipment.

Cally remembered fondly how he had tried to admonish her for relying on her own instincts and senses rather than on objective facts. She was glad that he accepted her 'senses' as fact now and trusted them.

The only other times she had sensed this ease and passion in him, was when he opened himself up to her; when he included her within the world that he felt at home in. Those times were becoming much less frequent now. Cally missed his light humour, the naked honesty, and the almost shy but intense affection of the man who was more conversant with machines than people.

She wondered what happened to cause him to leave the world he loved.

Her attentions were brought back by Avon saying, "Wealth represents strength for the Andromedans. They need it in order to build up a power base in this galaxy because they're cut off from their own."

After Avon was finished Argus said, "That sounds like a good reason to go to Kuriam. What's in the Goderich Territories that would be of interest to the Andromedans?"

Reya responded, "It's a highly volatile area. They've made several incursions into the Athol Territories. My brother has fought them many times. So far, we've been able to keep them within their own borders. If the aliens were looking to destabilize another area, that would be a good place. There are usually several civil wars going on at any one time in their territories."

Vila said, "It soundslike we'll be going into a war zone, full of other people's wars. Is that a good idea?"

Argus said, "We're not going there to get involved in any wars. We only want to find out what the Andromedans are doing in that sector and stop them."

Avon remarked dryly, "It appears as if you've made up your mind as to our next destination."

Argus said, "Not yet. That's why we're having this discussion."

Avon's contentious mood had returned. He asked cynically, "Is that what this is? A discussion? Or are you going to manipulate us into doing what you've already decided?"

Argus had a puzzled look on his face, he couldn't understand why Avon was acting like this. "I thought that you were keen to check out the Goderich Territories _and _Kuriam before? You know that there've been reports of suspicious activities in those areas."

Avon said, "The report about _Solteral _came from Servalan."

"You're expecting more traps?" asked Argus.

A familiar voice intruded into their conversation. "Of course Avon expects a trap." They all turned to see Sester leaning against the entrance way. Ignoring the various hostile looks being directed towards him, he came down the steps. From his vantage point, he had been observing the dynamics of the crew with interest. He had noted all the things about Avon that Cally had.

Argus said with a distinctly unenthusiastic tone, "I don't remember inviting you to this meeting."

Sester smiled pleasantly, "You didn't but I _am _the Federation liaison, isn't it about time you did? I can be of help."

Argus said sarcastically, "Assuming we can trust anything you say."

Avon came to stand next to Argus. His voice contained a cold cynicism and his eyes were dark with hostility as he said to Sester, "If there is a meeting that needs your brand of _half-truth_, we'll let you know." All of Avon's irritability had been channelled into aggression against the psychostrategist.

Sester's voice was calm and reasonable, his face never lost its pleasant friendliness. "Come now, gentlemen. The Federation President has as little to gain in allowing the aliens influence in this galaxy, as you do. What happened concerning the news about Anna was regrettable but I did not plan it. It was an unfortunate series of circumstances that would never have happened if you had trusted me."

Cally came to stand next to Avon. Her voice was hard. "Are you trying to blame _us _for what happened?"

Sester put his hand up as if to deflect all the attacks being directed at him. "I'm not doing anything of the kind, Cally. Servalan _was _trying to manipulate Avon with the news about Anna _and_ with sending you all to Solteral. I didn't agree with what she was trying to do, that is why I tried to keep the information from all of you."

Argus still didn't trust Sester's part in what happened and said, "Do you think that if you repeat it enough times, we'll suddenly forget what you are and believe you? Are you seriously expecting us to believe that you didn't 'arrange' the circumstances after what happened with Vanora?"

Sester tried not to look annoyed. "Just because I _can _do it, doesn't mean that I did it this time. Don't let your personal prejudices against me, prevent you from using an advantage when it is being offered to you. I can steer you around Servalan's traps. I know how her mind works."

There was a cold accusing tone in Avon's voice. "Just as you know mine? You're Servalan's instrument. You are here to continue _her_ manipulation of _me_."

The temperature on the flight deck seemed to have dropped several degrees.

Sester looked at each of them in turn. His eyes lingered briefly on Vila, who was trying to keep very inconspicuous in the background. He thought, _I see you've had your second cup of coffee_.

Vila seemed to guess what he was thinking and looked guilty, but he didn't say anything.

Sester admitted, "You're right, that is what she wanted."

There was a dangerous look in Avon's eyes.

Sester continued, "But it isn't what _I_ want."

Argus didn't believe this 'act', he said with a snarl, "Let's throw him off the ship, Avon." The two Alphas glanced at each other, an agreement seemed to pass between them.

Avon said coolly, "Be my guest."

Cally may not be able to sense Avon as well as she did before, but she was aware that something was going on.

A dangerous smile appeared on Argus's face as he directed, "Lieutenant."

Dain had also been keeping quietly in the background. He knew when it was not his place to say anything. "Sir?"

Argus said, "Take our _guest _to the airlock."

Reya exclaimed with shock, "Argus, what are you doing?" She didn't want to believe that he was capable of doing this; but she would never have thought that he would have beaten up Sester and concealed the information from her either. Reya was torn. She wanted to believe in him but she couldn't allow him to make a mistake he would regret later.

Dain moved towards Sester with a troubled but determined look on his face. "Yes, sir."

Vila could not keep silent any longer. He asked with concern, "Shouldn't we think about this?"

Cally did not like this turn of events either. She projected, * _Avon, stop this! _* There was no answering response, or any indication that he had heard her.

Inexplicably, Sester had an amused look on his face. He stood his ground as Dain neared him. "I'm very disappointed gentlemen. You will never win against Servalan if you don't use me."

The lieutenant grabbed Sester's arm in a tight grip. Sester grimaced and said, "Your orders were to take me to the airlock, not man-handle me."

Dain responded by pushing him towards the steps. He said firmly but politely, "It will be easier if you don't resist, sir."

Sester allowed himself to be pushed as he asked with an amused smile, "Easier for whom?"

Reya pleaded, "Argus, don't do this!" She moved towards Dain and Sester.

Vila also moved to stop them.

The tone in Reya's voice had shaken Argus but he remained controlled. The trust in their relationship had been broken and it was his fault. There was a sick feeling in his stomach but he couldn't stop now, he had already committed himself to this action. He had to carry it through. Argus blocked them both and gestured them back.

Dain pushed Sester a few more steps forward. There was still no look of concern on the condemned man's face but a note of nervousness crept into his voice as he said, "Avon? I know you don't trust me, but you know that you can use me. You _know _that."

A look passed between the two men.

Sester stressed, "I _keep _my promises, Avon."

Argus said with a sneer, "You're starting to sound desperate."

Avon's eyes bored into Sester's like a laser trying to cut through the illusions. He hated this man but there were some things that he could depend on him to do that none of the others would. Despite all of his hidden agendas, Sester was genuine in his regrets and his desire to help him. Avon had recognized this a long time ago. It did not make him feel any better about this man, but it did make him useful.

Avon said, "Or human. No one wants to die. Not even him."

Argus did not like what he was hearing in Avon's voice. "Avon?"

Avon turned to face Argus, there was a challenge in his eyes, "You never intended to kill him."

Argus returned his stare. Neither man seemed to want to back down. Everyone waited.

After what seemed to be an eternity, a grin flashed across Argus's face, "Did _you_?" He said to Dain, "Bring him back."

Avon said, "We will never find out now."

Dain led Sester back towards them.

Argus said, "You can let go of him, lieutenant."

Dain released Sester's arm and stepped back, but not too far. Sester rubbed his sore arm and wrist.

Argus asked Avon, "What should we do with him?"

"As he suggested, we should use him." He asked Sester, "What 'surprises' are waiting for us in the Goderich Territories?"

Sester suppressed a smile.

**********

After the decision to go to the Goderich Territories was made, and the various assignments handed out for the preparations, the meeting adjourned.

Avon and Cally headed towards his lab, accompanied by Sester. Sester could almost feel Avon's eyes staring at into his back as he walked ahead of them. He stopped and asked, "Is something wrong? Apart from the obvious, that is." There was a light tone in his voice. He preferred to not begin things on a hostile note.

Avon replied, "You knew all along that we wouldn't kill you."

A pleasant and amused smile returned to Sester face. "Would I be of any use against Servalan, if I couldn't see through something that obvious?"

Avon asked Sester, "Why the charade?"

"It wasn't. I was telling you the truth."

Avon asked cynically, "You're expecting me to believe that?"

"You're sounding like Argus now. If you didn't believe me, then why are we here?"

Avon said, "You achieved something by interfering in our discussions, I want to know what it was."

"You keep asking questions you don't want to hear the answers to," said Sester.

Avon said, "_Tell me_."

Sester nodded. "Just you."

Cally had not been surprised by the turn of events. Despite Avon's ability to block her, she had known that something else was going on. Plus she knew the conditions under which Avon and Argus could kill someone, the situation on the flight deck had not been it. She asked, "Avon. Is it a good idea to hear what he has to say? We know what happened the last time."

Avon looked at Sester and said offhandedly, "You can always kill him afterwards."

Cally said, "You know I won't do that."

For some reason, the encounter with Sester made Avon feel better. He was no longer irritable and his humour had returned. The corner of Avon's lips curled in a hint of a grin. "I know."

She said, "I have other ways of making him regret hurting you."

His eyes met hers, there was return of a light warmth in them and a mischievousness. "I would like to see that."

Cally was puzzled by Avon's sudden change in mood but she hoped that it was a sign of something reassuring. She slipped back into their light banter by returning his bare grin with one of her own. "I'm sure you would."

Sester asked with amusement, "Is this another 'act' for my benefit?"

The lightness quickly disappeared from Avon's face as he answered flatly, "I wouldn't recommend finding out."

There was absolutely no humour on Cally's face as she added, "I wouldn't either."

Sester tried not to smile again. "I won't."

To give them time to talk, Cally said, "I have some things to attend to in the medical unit. I will join you later."

**********

The two men entered the lab but before Avon could repeat his demand, Sester said, "I haven't told the others."

They both knew what he was referring to.

Avon said flatly, "I know."

Sester asked, "I don't suppose it makes a difference?"

"No."

The two men faced each other like two opponents over a chessboard. Avon's grim determination was in contrast to Sester's amiability but there was no question that both men were equally matched. It was the meeting of two superior opponents across the field of battle. There were no indecisive moves, each one was highly calculated. Both men did not lose lightly.

Sester said pleasantly, "It's good to know where we stand."

Their exchange became like a lightning game of speed chess.

Avon asked, "Why did you interfere on the flight deck?"

"Do you want my help or not?"

Avon didn't like this man's tendency to be evasive. "Answer my question."

"You looked like you needed help."

Avon said with scorn, "I don't need help from _you_."

"Would you prefer the others finding out?"

There was no question of the warning in Avon's tone. "Is that a threat?"

"Nothing of the kind, but if you don't want the others to know what you're planning to do, then you have to stop pushing them away. Cally will suspect soon, if she doesn't already. Vila knows something's wrong. They may not be able to guess why, but they will know the what. I _already_ know."

Sester's superior manner grated on Avon's nerves, he asked with derision, "What do you know?"

Sester paused, breaking the flow of their fast-paced battle of words. "You're afraid."

Avon had an instant negative reaction. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"You do _insist_ on asking questions you don't want to hear the answers to."

Avon accused him, "You're stalling. You still haven't answered my question."

"I have. You just don't want to face the truth." His voice was no longer one of an adversary and there was a faintly compassionate look in his eyes; because he knew that Avon would not want to hear what he had to say. "Finding out that you may have killed Anna in error, was a big shock to your self-confidence. You're afraid that your _next_ mistake will kill Cally. You think that the best thing for Cally would be to push her away, but you haven't been able to, not completely. Pushing her away hurts her, and you can't bear doing that. But not pushing her away means that one day she may die because of you, and you can't bear that either. You're in the midst of doing both, and neither and you know it won't work. You don't know how to resolve it and it makes you increasingly stressed. That in turn causes you to take it out on other people."

Hearing the truth stopped the words Avon wanted to throw at his enemy. Words that would to deny all the thoughts that had haunted him since Sester succeeded in returning him to consciousness. Facts could not be refused, even if they came from a man he hated. He had become deathly quiet as Sester spoke. This dealt with something very personal. Sester was the last person he wanted to discuss this with, but this man was the only one he could. The others would stop him if they knew what was going on inside his head.

Sester ended by saying, "Your logic won't help you in this situation but mine can."

Avon continued to be silent. He was deep in thought and began pacing the room slowly as Sester waited for a response. He finally turned to him and asked, "A psychostrategist's logic?"

Sester smiled, "Yes. Another one of my varied services that is available to you. Let me worry about how you're going to achieve this. For now, don't push the others away. Cally needs you as much as you need her. Don't deny her that."

"She has no need for me."

"You're wrong."

Sester was keeping many thoughts to himself. There were other words Avon was not ready to hear yet. His intelligence did not seem to apply when dealing with the complexity of relationships. By encouraging Avon to stop excluding Cally, Sester hoped that she would teach him before it was too late. He knew it was a lesson Avon would never accept from him and he did not want to have to live up to the promise he had made.

Vila's request had reminded him what he owed Avon. He would do his best to help Avon rebuild a life that he had a hand in nearly destroying. Sester doubted if the debt would ever be fully paid. There were some things that could never be undone.

Avon asked, "What could she possibly need from me? I am no longer the man I once was. You and Servalan made certain of that. I am little more than a burden to her. What little I could give her will be gone once my mind can no longer function."

Sester told him, "Her need for you doesn't lie in those things that require action or even the functioning of your mind, Avon."

"What else is there?"

"All of the intangible things you have never given a regard to."

Avon remembered the things he had learned during those dark and cold years spent in captivity. They were important but were they enough? He wanted to give Cally something more substantial. He said, "I have to give her more."

Sester knew that Avon didn't really understand yet. "I will help you."

Avon eyed him speculatively. "This doesn't change anything between us."

Sester smiled, "I never thought it would."

Chapter Five

"Didn't I say that this was a bad idea?" asked Vila as yet another ship fired first before asking questions. This had been happening with regular frequency since they had entered the Goderich Territories. The people here didn't appear to have discovered the art of diplomacy yet or even of polite conversation.

As the _Justice_ was rocked again by a battery of hits, they all steadied themselves by grabbing whatever was close at hand, which for Avon, appeared to be Cally. She did not like the fact that for some inexplicable reason, the System designers had decided to place the ship's shields in a place that required it's operator to have nothing to hang onto, just when they were needed the most. Suggestions that perhaps Avon might want to sit on one of the couches while operating the shields had produced a stare and little else.

Avon glanced down at the displays on the control panel and reported, "Shields are holding. Down to 95% on forward shields. Fully charged on aft." The ships in this region didn't have the firepower to hurt them, not without a much larger concentrated effort.

Argus said with consternation, "You're right, Vila. I think it's time to show them how bad an idea. We're not getting anything done this way. We have to get someone to _talk_ before they start firing. Vila, clear the neutron blasters for firing. Zen, put up the radiation flare shields."

Zen responded, "Confirmed."

Vila activated various switches on his panel, "What do you want me to do?"

Argus said, "Nothing too destructive. We _do_ want to talk to them afterwards. Be creative."

Vila smirked. "I can do that." His forehead wrinkled in thought and then he adjusted various settings and pressed the firing control. Four tracers raced towards the ill-mannered ships that had shot at them. Satisfying explosions could be seen as the neutron yields hit their targets.

Argus said, "Nicely done." The shots had knocked out the scanner arrays of each of the ships.

Vila said, "It's hard to fire if you can't see anything."

Reya remarked, "Now if only you could be that precise on the firing range."

Vila grinned at her. "That's different."

There was no responding smile on Reya's face, she was far too professional to engage in such civilian frivolities when they were in the midst of battle. Just for a second, Vila could almost swear that there was an amused glint in her eyes.

Argus said, "Let's see if they feel like talking now. Zen, open a communications channel to the ships."

Zen responded, "Confirmed."

Argus said, "This is Drel Argus, of the _Justice_. We only wish to talk. We have no desire to destroy you."

The captain of one of the ships, presumably their leader, appeared on the main viewscreen. He was an angry looking man with a full beard and a wide face. The man said furiously, "How dare you fire on my ship!"

Argus was almost taken aback by the unreasonableness of the man's attitude. There was only one way to deal with this kind of man. His manner was as hard as the Herculaneum of the ship's hull as he said, "You should know by now that your weapons can't hurt us, but we _can_ destroy you at any time. We will if it proves necessary, but I only want to talk."

The bearded captain said, "How do I know that you won't destroy us after we talk to you?"

Argus said, "Then I suggest that you cooperate."

The still angry look on the man's face made Argus wonder if Vila would need to be a little more creative.

The other captain said, "Alright. Talk."

"I don't believe that you've introduced yourself."

The man replied, "Captain Giffen of the Chandar Alliance."

Argus asked, "Captain Giffen, I understand that there has been an increase of hostilities in the past few months. We're here to find out the cause."

Giffen sneered, "You mean apart from the lying, treacherous, murdering neighbours that plague my borders?"

"Anything unusual?"

The man said derisively, "This is a waste of time. I thought you wanted to talk about something important."

Argus said with infinite patience, "I know that conflict is commonplace in this region of space but even here, this level of hostilities is abnormal." Thinking that it was an indication of something atypical he asked, "Do you normally fire on other ships without finding out what they want first?"

Giffen looked at Argus as if he was too naïve to be believed. "We know what they want! We have always known what they wanted. We're not about to give them the chance to destroy us first!"

Argus realized that his question may have been the wrong one to be asking in this sector of space. Firing first could be customary procedure here. It may explain why there had been no changes in the situation in this region for the last several hundred years.

Avon was about to cross over to Argus's station to make a suggestion when he realized that he was still holding onto Cally. She didn't seem to be objecting. He let go of her and walked over to Argus. Avon said in a low voice, "Ask him if there have been any changes in the lying, treachery and murder."

Argus directed his attentions to the screen, "Are there any particular incidents of lying, treachery or murder that have sparked this increase in activity?"

After much more frustration, they finally got a clearer picture of what was going on. It appeared that one of their neighbours, the Thyssen Alliance, had sent a so-called peace delegation several months ago. The idea was to broker a coalition against another one of their neighbours. Such temporary agreements were routine business. Afterwards, of course, they would return to their regular activities of fighting each other again.

In the course of discussions, the son of the president of the Chandar Alliance had been murdered. The evidence clearly pointed to someone in the Thyssen delegation. Of course, things had quickly deteriorated from there. The entire delegation had been executed and there had been pitched battles ever since.

Reya took a great interest in what this man was saying.

Argus said, "I see." It seemed to be a difficult situation. Justice was required and war seemed to be the only way these people recognized. "Thank you for the information, Captain. Let me talk this over with my people. Perhaps we can help."

Giffen's eyes indicated his interest. "Your ship could help us a great deal against the Thyssen Alliance."

Argus replied, "I wasn't thinking of that kind of help. I'll be in touch. Zen, close the comm channel."

"Confirmed."

When the screen went blank, Argus said, "Getting in the middle of someone else's war, is the kind of mess I didn't want us to get involved in, but it seems we don't have a choice."

Vila asked, "But what can we do? They don't seem to be the listening type, if you know what I mean."

"You're not proposing to _force_ them to stop by using this ship," said Avon.

"I'm open to suggestions. We need a way to convince them to find a different solution," said Argus.

Cally propose, "Their methods of justice are extreme. It explains the constant civil wars in this sector. Perhaps it's time to teach them that there is another way."

Vila said, "Assuming they'll stop killing each other long enough for you to teach them."

Reya had been deep in thought since Giffen told them about the murder. She said, "This sounds very familiar."

Argus turned to her. "What does?"

"This murder sparking a major conflict."

Avon asked, "You think it's too convenient?"

Reya explained, "The same thing happened in Athol. Someone murdered my father. My brothers all accused each other of treachery. The only people who could have had access was one of them. My father was paranoid about security."

Avon said thoughtfully, "You think that the Andromedans were involved in the murder of your father?"

"Now that we know that they were behind Borel's increase in power, I wouldn't be surprised."

They all contemplated this possibility.

A voice came from the flight deck stairs, "Solve the murder."

They all turned to the familiar person. Sester came down the steps towards them. He said, "If the Andromedans are trying to cause trouble in this sector. It is highly likely that they are responsible for this murder. If you solve the crime, then you can show the two alliances that the real enemy is not each other. The war will stop."

Argus really wanted to find fault with what Sester was saying but he couldn't. It made sense, and it was a good idea. "We're not detectives."

Sester smiled, "Avon and Cally are."

**********

"That was wonderful," said a breathless Cally as she rested her head on Avon's chest. His arms were still around her. He was feeling more than a bit winded himself after their recent activity. His only response was a muffled, "Hmm."

Cally said, "I didn't realize that doing it without the joining of minds could almost be as pleasurable."

Avon asked with a slightly affronted but very amused tone, "Almost?"

With her head against his chest, he could feel her lips curling into a smile.

Cally asked, "Where did you learn to do that?" She was expecting a witty rejoinder but instead, she felt his body stiffen and his mind close to her. Cally looked up just in time to see a flicker of pain in his eyes that was quickly suppressed. "What's wrong?"

Avon kept all emotion out of his voice; a well-practiced ability. "Nothing." Despite this, he could see that she wasn't convinced.

Cally guessed, "It's Servalan, isn't it? Did you have to do this, for her?"

She knew him too well.

Avon's mind could not keep down the flood of emotions this topic was provoking. Memories of the shame, anger and helplessness made the feel of Cally's body on his unbearable. He didn't want to ask her to roll off but he was feeling trapped. Avon had been trying to maintain a tighter handle on these episodes but it didn't always work. He knew that Cally would want to talk about it.

When he didn't say anything, Cally said, "Avon, I know it's difficult, but you have to talk about what's bothering you. It's the only way defeat the nightmares."

"There must be other more effective ways."

Cally sighed. It was always like this. She would have to present a convincing, logical argument before he was willing to share anything. Even then, it was only a little. Assuming that she won. She didn't always and then he would change the topic. Sometimes she almost felt as if it was a mixture of reluctance and also because he enjoyed debating with her.

Cally asked, "What do you think of the murder?"

"What?" Avon asked with mild surprise. He had not expected _her_ to change the topic.

She said, "Avon, do you remember the Destiny colonists?"

His mind was busy wondering what she was up to. "We solved the mystery."

Cally said petulantly, "As I remember, _I_ did all the leg work."

"I was somewhat busy, if you recall."

"Fixing the ship." She rested her head on him again. "After you said that you were _only_ staying because of the mystery. You were no help at all."

Avon was amused by her tone. "I did _solve_ the mystery."

She rubbed his chest affectionately. "Yes, you did. You enjoyed standing up and giving the big dénouement."

The barest grin crossed Avon's face. "It was satisfying." He ran his fingers down her back, absently tracing her spine.

The sensation caused Cally to take a slow deep breath. "I enjoyed working together. With just you. I wished we had more opportunities like that."

His fingers stopped. "Do you wish that I do all the 'leg work' this time?"

"Half?"

"That can be arranged." His fingers started moving again, lightly brushing against her skin. "Servalan required that I satisfy her. If I didn't…" Avon's jaw tightened. "She would torture me."

Cally held her breath. She could feel the pain he was experiencing as he was sharing this.

Avon continued, "Sometimes she would, even if I did. I wasn't afraid of the pain." Avon paused, trying to catch a breath that seemed harder to take whenever he did this kind of sharing.

Cally didn't say anything, letting him take his time. She knew he had to do this in his own way. Any expressions of sympathy would make it harder for him. Through their connection, she sent a light touch of encouragement.

Avon said again, "I wasn't afraid of the pain. It was the other thing she would subject me to. Sometimes she would chain me to a chair in her office, in the dark in order to induce the nightmares. ORAC's key was on her desk. I was afraid that I would reveal my plans with ORAC through the nightmares. I couldn't afford that."

Cally said, "So you did what she wanted?"

"Yes." The admission caused his throat to tighten, nearly choking him. "I…didn't want to but I had no choice. I learned to give her what she wanted."

Cally lifted her head to look into his eyes, she said, "Avon, I don't want you to do this anymore. Don't use what you learned for me."

"I need to."

"Why?"

"This ability is mine. I want to use it…for someone…I care about."

Why was it so difficult for him to say? It wasn't as if it was the first time. He added, "Servalan will not win."

Cally said fervently, "No. She won't. We will kill her first."

"Together? I would like that."

She said, "I'm looking forward to solving this murder together too."

"As am I."

Cally brushed her fingers against his chest lightly, "Now, I would like to show you some things that I've learned."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Seven

Argus and a full team of Avon, Cally, Vila, Reya and a large number of the Athol soldiers went down to the planet. In a place like this, it was best to operate from a position of strength and the stronger the better. Having the advanced _Justice_ orbiting above their heads didn't hurt either.

The buildings were impressive but functional. Militaristic decorations seemed to be the style of the day and numerous armed sentries were at every junction. As they were led along a long corridor to meet the President of the Chandar Alliance , Argus asked Avon, "What do you think?"

Avon had been studying the architecture and replied, "Ostentatious. Designed to intimidate and create the impression of strength. That appears to be the only theme visible."

"That's what I thought." Argus directed his voice behind him to the others following. "We can't show weakness here so be careful."

The official meeting chamber where the President received guests was designed more like an ancient throne room, with an ornate chair for the President on a raised dais. There were no other chairs.

The President himself was a tall, imposing man, bearded, like most of his people, though his was only a touch of one. He had a hard face and intelligent, calculating eyes that seemed to sparkle at times when he was amused.

An attendant introduced him as the _Justice_ group entered. In a pompous, high-pitched voice - that would soon annoy if heard too often - the attendant announced, "I have the privilege to present President Brent of the Chandar Alliance, the First Minister of Alasus Prime, Great Knight of the Yellen Order, Grand Duke of Hular, the Prime Magnificent…"

President Brent waived at his attendant irritably, "Yes, yes, that's enough. I'm sure our guests are already suitably impressed." He had a warm but cynical smile as he said to Argus and the group. "Assuming that any of those titles mean anything to them."

As with most narrowly-minded officials the universe over, whose whole importance revolved around the performance of trivial tasks, the attendant said with a seriousness deference that came from centuries of unbending tradition, "It _is_ customary Your Magnificence."

"Perhaps it's time to change the customs then and lose the Magnificence."

The President ignored the outraged look on his attendant's face and said, "What is the use of being President, if you can't bend the rules once in a while, or have them changed? Now, it's time to dispense with the other onerous tasks of introduction. I'll handle the rest of them." The look on his attendant's face was hovering on the verge of becoming more outraged at this usurping of his role but he took on a blank look instead. The attendant knew his place.

President Brent introduced the key officials around him, "This is Second President Thelis, my second in command." Thelis was a steely-faced man who wore his beard like part of his defensive equipment rather than a facial adornment. His eyes were sharp and penetrating. When he directed them at someone, he could make them feel very uncomfortable. He had a fierce manner, like a warrior always ready for battle.

"The man to his right is Minister Urkelit who is my advisor in many things, including a few he's not allowed to mention." Urkelit seemed vaguely annoyed at this introduction but kept his face carefully neutral. He was a tall, thin and stern man who moved with great deliberation.

"The last one of note is my head security officer, Thenard who has saved my life on many occasions." The burly, deep-chested man nodded at them. His eyes were also intelligent but full of natural caution and suspicion.

President Brent turned to Argus. "The others will introduce themselves in time. Now it's your turn."

Argus said, "We have no titles but this is Avon, my second in command and also my advisor in more things than I can list." At this Avon's brow raised. He was not pleased with the title of "Second." There was amusement in Argus's eyes. He guessed that Avon would be having words with him at some later date.

"Next to him is Cally, my medical officer. Then Vila, my structural access engineer. And Reya, my security officer." At this introduction, there was muttering among the President's officials; hard stares and whispers.

Unlike the men, both Cally and Reya had been noticing the odd stares that they had both been getting since arriving on this planet. It was not lost on them that they had seen no women since arriving. Cally was particularly sensitive to the not exactly friendly impressions she was getting all around her.

Brent asked with amusement, "A female security officer? It's a ceremonial title I imagine?"

Argus said, "No. Reya is a very competent security officer and also a sharp-shooter."

At this, incredulous looks joined the other ones. Urkelit said, "A sharp-shooter as well? That's hard to believe."

Argus had a dare in his manner when he said, "I _wouldn't_ suggest testing it."

Brent seized on this, just as Argus had expected would happen. The Chandar President said with enthusiasm, "I think I've just heard a challenge. The best marksman of my Alliance versus your _female_ security officer?"

Avon spoke up, "And what would be the benefit when _we_ win?"

Brent laughed, it was an infectious, open sound. "He sounds like _my_ advisor."

Argus said, "You have no idea."

Brent said, "Very well. You wish to investigate the murder of my son. I will make sure that there will be full cooperation with your endeavours. Assuming that your sharp-shooter can beat mine, that is. You haven't asked what we will require of you, when _we_ win."

Reya's voice was as cold as the void of space when she said, "You won't."

Argus barely suppressed a smile.

Vila found that he wasn't worried at all. He had numerous opportunities to see Reya in action on the practice range. He was sorry for whoever was going to be matched against her.

President Brent seemed to be greatly amused by the attitude of dismay and disapproval amongst his gathered officials. He said, "She _sounds_ competent."

Argus said, "Amongst other things. All of my people are the best."

"We shall see."

**********

Reya was professional and highly unconcerned as she looked over the selection of weapons that had been presented to her. The Chandarans watched her with a mixture of incredulity and insolence. Women were not highly regarded in this society. She was determined to wipe those expressions from their faces personally.

There were to be three rounds in the challenge and the weapons used for each one would be different. She tested the weapons in her hands, weighing each one, testing their balance and checking the sights.

After making her selections, the other weapons were removed and the Chandarans left. She prepared to check the performance of the weapons on the practice range they had provided.

Argus entered. He asked, "How are they?"

"Nothing unusual. They're good weapons." She put the butt of the rifle against her shoulder and viewed along the sight. She squeezed off a shot. It hit dead center at the target at the other end.

Argus squinted at the distant mark. "Not bad."

"Let's see you do it," she dared him.

Argus held up both hands, "Noooo…that's your department."

"Coward."

Argus smiled. "I know my limits and besides I'm nowhere near as good as you are."

She said with mock sternness, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think that you were trying to get back on my good side."

"I'd settle for any side that didn't include sleeping in the gym at the moment," he said wryly.

"Are you still doing that?"

"Well, yes." Argus seemed to look embarrassed. "Until you take me back."

Reya shook her head with a sigh, "What am I going to do with you?"

Argus had a hopeful look on his face, "Can I make suggestions?"

"No. I think I know what they'd be."

Argus grinned. "I think you might be surprised. It's not what you think."

Reya looked at him thoughtfully. "Then surprise me."

"Maybe I'll show you when we finish here and go back to the ship."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Argus looked at the target she had just neatly pierced with unerring accuracy. "What do you think about the last challenge?"

"I can handle it."

"I'm looking forward to seeing their faces."

"They might not like being shown up," she warned him.

"I'm sure some of them won't but there's something odd about President Brent. He's not like the others."

Reya said, "Yes, I noticed that too. But how different is he?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you noticed that we haven't seen a single woman around since we arrived?"

Argus thought back. "Come to think of it, no. You're right. I hadn't noticed. It's not unusual though. Unfortunately, some societies are more male dominated. Even the Federation tends to be like that."

"Is that why _you_ didn't notice?"

Argus almost winced. "Well…"

"Yes, I know, in the Federation military, it's almost exclusively males, isn't it? Except for some in the officer classes."

"Mainly. I mean, yes." He looked embarrassed again. "In the military it is. Not in the science and technical grades."

"It's like that on Athos too."

"I might have Vila snoop around a bit. He's good at getting into places unnoticed."

"That's a good idea." Reya reapplied her attention to the weapons and then she paused and turned to Argus again. "You might not like this suggestion but you could use Sester."

Argus frowned. "You're right, I don't."

Reya saw his reaction and said, "I'm sorry. Forget I mentioned it." She turned back to checking out the rifle.

Argus wished he didn't have that reaction whenever Sester's name was mentioned. It always made things more difficult with Reya. He knew that there was still a lot to be worked out between them. _More sleeping in the gym._

**********

"So Avon gets to play detective and I get to play spy?" Vila asked with an excited voice. He was relishing this idea. It didn't sound too dangerous and might prove to be fun.

"Don't get carried away," warned Avon. "We want these people to cooperate with us, not put us in front of a firing squad."

"Oh don't be such a party pooper," said Vila. "It's not like I'm going after some big secret. I'm just going to find out where they keep their women."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said Avon dryly. "You and your reputation with women."

"You're just jealous that you didn't get to come down to Pleasure City with us. You got stuck in a lab…" Vila looked at Cally, who was developing an increasingly displeased look on her face, and said quickly, "What I mean to say is that…"

"My point exactly," said Avon.

Argus stepped into this exchange of banter and said, "Vila, I just need you to do what you do best. Make friends with people who have a tendency to talk. Ask a few harmless questions. I want to know what the real situation here is with the women."

Avon asked, "Is this a wise thing to be doing?"

Argus wondered what he was getting at. "What do you mean?"

"Is it our business to interfere in their politics? We are here to find out if the Andromedans are trying to spread their influence here and to neutralize them if they are. That should be our main objective."

Argus said, "It still is but it doesn't have to be our only one. I want to know what's going on."

Cally added her interest. "I would like to as well."

Vila said, "That makes three of us."

Avon said impassively, "Alright, but let's not lose sight of our objective."

Argus said, "I'm sure you'll remind us." He looked at their would-be spy and added, "Vila, if you want, you can get Sester to help you. The two of you get along." He found it hard to make the suggestion but Reya had been right. Sester's abilities might be useful in this situation.

"Well, I wouldn't say 'get along' exactly," said Vila. "But I'll ask him."

Avon asked Argus, "What do you plan to do once you find out?"

"Let's get to that point first, before we decide."

"Do I need to remind you that we should not lose sight of our primary objective?"

"Already?" Argus grinned, "Don't worry, I won't. I'm surprised that you haven't made a comment about my introduction."

Avon's face had absolutely no expression as he said, "You're referring to calling me your Second?"

Argus wondered whether he should start being nervous. "I was expecting something."

Avon still had no expression as he said, "As you indicated earlier, we need to work from a position of strength. Having a second in command adds to your standing."

Argus asked jokingly, "And especially one like you?"

"Of course." There was just the barest hint of a smile on Avon's face.

Chapter Eight

The challenge between the Chandar Alliance's best marksman and the female upstart had drawn quite a crowd. Vid news teams from around the Alliance were covering the proceedings with great interest and much comic amusement. The presence of a woman who had the temerity to defy tradition was causing a great stir and quite a bit of hostility along with patronizing and often insulting humour.

Vila said, "Do you know what the odds are?"

Argus asked, "Odds? They're betting on the outcome of this contest?"

Vila said, "Of course. Where there's a contest, there's bound to be wagers. Even if it's under the table, if you know why I mean. It's human nature."

Avon said dryly, "Its nature of some kind."

Vila retorted, "Well, I didn't see you objecting on Freedom City. The Big Wheel was _your_ idea."

Avon said, "So it was." The barest grin lifted the corner of his lips; it was one that touched his eyes in amusement.

Vila stared at the change in expression and then he said slyly, "You know, the odds are even better this time. They're a hundred to one."

Avon's eyes widened and then he smiled. "Those _are_ impressive odds."

Vila said with a grin, "I thought you'd like them."

Avon asked, "You wouldn't have happened to place a wager?"

Vila asked innocently, "Who me?"

Argus said warningly, "Vila. Please tell me that you didn't."

Vila said, "Alright, I won't."

Avon said, "Vila."

Vila sighed with great regret at the once-in-a-lifetime possibility, "Alright, I didn't. You did say not to do anything that would get us put in front of a firing squad. Bookies don't take too kindly to sure fire bets that go cross-eyed on them."

Cally asked, "With their confidence in the outcome, I'm surprised the bookies are accepting wagers at all."

Vila explained, "Well, there are always things to bet on."

Reya, who had been listening silently, asked, "Such as?"

Vila gulped nervously at the tone in her voice. He said, "Well…"

Reya said, "I want to know, Vila."

Argus said, "Yes, she wants to know how much to humiliate her opponent." He glanced at her and added, "I almost feel sorry for the man."

Reya glared at him, causing him to grin impishly.

Vila said, "They're betting on how many shots will actually make it to the target."

Argus asked, "You mean they doubt that she has any ability at all?"

Avon said, "The level of insult is considerable."

Argus looked at the increasingly hard expression developing in Reya's face, "That's a mistake."

Reya said, "They will regret it." The way she said it, made it sound like an undisputable fact.

Argus said nervously, "Reya, try not to humiliate them too much. We really _don't_ want to be put in front of a firing squad."

Sester, who had been unobtrusively watching this dynamic from the sidelines, said nothing. He only observed and waited.

**********

Reya's rifle was held loosely in her hands. Her manner was relaxed, as it always was on the eve of battle. Most opponents who knew her, found it intimidating, almost scary that she should show so little anxiety. People, who didn't know her, were either disconcerted or, like the Chandarans, thought she must be ignorant to show so little concern. They were all enjoying themselves anticipating the humiliation of someone who had no right to challenge the established order of things.

Her opponent was a dark-haired, square-faced man who walked like the champion he was considered to be. His chest held numerous commendation marks indicating his prowess. Meant to intimidate her further no doubt. The way the Chandarans deferred to him, he appeared to be a celebrity of sorts and highly respected.

The crowd chanted his name as he neared the field, "Dannon! Dannon! Dannon!"

Reya looked on without any reaction at the spectacle, though she definitely felt something. She was here to do a job. These people seemed to think it was some kind of entertainment. The fanfare disgusted her. Being a marksman was not sport for her. Despite her skill, Reya did not like the killing that was the final objective of any ability with a weapon. It was just a necessary and unpleasant part of her job that she was very good at. It was something to be done well and quickly, and with as little attention as possible.

The referee spelled out the rules of the first contest. It was a simple accuracy test on increasingly further targets. Each challenger was to fire ten shots. Only those that hit the center would count.

As she was the guest, Reya was allowed to go first.

As she stepped up to the firing line, Dannon asked, "You do realize that only centre hits count?"

She replied, "I heard."

"I hope you don't have a problem with that."

She said with a nearly flat voice that only the perceptive would notice the cynicism in, "I am touched by your concern. I would save it for yourself." _You'll need it._

Reya put her rifle up and fired off a shot. There was a collective gasp and it suddenly became very quiet. Her shot had hit dead centre on the target.

Dannon muttered behind her with reluctant regard, "Not bad."

Reya methodically squeezed off the remainder of her nine shots in rapid succession and then stepped back.

The previously silent field erupted into laughing and jeering.

"She missed!"

"The first one was just luck!"

"She's just a woman after all!"

Argus and the team studied the target. Except for the original centre shot, there were no other marks.

Cally asked, "Are we in trouble?"

Argus smiled but didn't say anything.

Vila's face was a mixture of uncertainty and disbelief. He refused to believe that Reya could make such a serious mistake.

Avon watched Argus's quiet confidence and said nothing.

Sester observed the crew's dynamic with fascination. He wasn't concerned either.

The announcer called for quiet in order to announce the results. "The score for the challenger, Reya Reeve of the _Justice_ is…" The man paused a moment as if he was afraid to say the rest. "Ten points."

The noisy field fell into shocked silence and then it erupted again as people asked in confusion.

"That's impossible!"

"How can that be? There's just the one mark!"

"Is he blind?"

The announcer roared, "Silence! There will be order or people will start being removed."

The field fell silent again.

The announcer said, "The challenger, Reya, has displayed remarkable skill, or extraordinary luck. Each of her shots hit in precisely the same place on the target. The result was a single mark."

Argus's face broke into a proud smile. He had not been concerned in the least. He knew Reya.

Dannon's mouth had dropped open in shock. He stared with incomprehension at Reya, who looked back at him with an impassively steady gaze. There was no superiority or pleasure in what she had just achieved. There was just a woman with a mission.

He swallowed. "You're good." The look on his face said that he still found it hard to believe. Reya gave him a barely perceptible nod of acknowledgement.

As Dannon stepped up to the firing line for his turn, the crowd seemed to be holding their breaths. He composed himself, brought his rifle up and slowly put ten shots into the target.

He stepped back and looked at her, "You see, you're not the only one who can do it. I do have _some_ skill." Dannon had also, like her, placed ten shots in exactly the same place on the target, causing a single mark.

The announcer announced a perfect score and the crowd erupted in cheering and more chanting of his name.

This time, Dannon appeared to look embarrassed. He said, "Don't mind them. I recognize skill, even if you _are_ a woman."

Reya said with mild cynicism, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant to be. Tell me, Reya of the _Justice_, are there many women like you?"

She replied, "Why do you want to know?"

Dannon said, "No reason."

The next target was prepared and Reya took her turn. The result was the same. There were many looks of consternation among the Chandarans. They all seemed to have hoped that the first time was a wild, improbable accident. Dannon followed and had the same outcome.

Reya looked on as the next further target was being prepared. She said, "This is a waste of time. When is the real challenge going to begin?"

Dannon said, "It does seem like a waste." He looked discomfited as he admitted, "They didn't expect you to get past the first one."

She said, "It was an insult to try me on something that easy."

He said seriously, "I agree. They didn't know." He shifted on his feet. "I didn't know. What do you propose?"

Reya asked, "What is the farthest target you can hit with the same accuracy?"

Dannon directed that she be shown. It was a much farther target. The centre seemed to be just a large dot. He was almost apologetic as he said, "It's a long distance."

Reya smiled. It was a friendly, challenging one. "I propose that we put it ten feet further than that one and start from there. Unless, you don't think you can hit it."

Dannon was apprehensive and then he returned her smile. "A true challenge. I haven't had one of those in a very long time."

There was much excited chatter in the crowd as this was done. The vid camera crews were frantically repositioning themselves to cover this unprecedented move.

From this distance, neither one could maintain the tight grouping on their targets. In the end, Dannon, though as good as his people had expected him to be, was no match for Reya. She was the far superior marksman.

The announcer declared the final results. "Reya Reeve of the Justice, 92. Dannon of the Chandar Alliance, 80."

Dannon said to her afterwards, "Thank you, Reya. I enjoyed that."

She asked, "Even though you lost?"

"If I had won, it would have been like all the other times. Nothing new. Expect to be challenged tomorrow, Reya Reeve. Tomorrow's contest is no simple test of accuracy. I do not lose lightly and there is a reason why they call me the best."

"I also look forward to it," replied Reya.

**********

The crew was excitedly gathered around Reya. Everyone was trying to speak at once to extend their congratulations and admiration.

Reya looked embarrassed and uncomfortable at all the attention.

Cally hugged her.

Vila said with a big smile on his face, "I always said you were an artist."

Avon gave a muted, "Impressive performance."

The soldiers all gave her excited claps on the back and congratulations.

Argus was bursting with pride. "I _knew_ you could do it." He would have given her more personal congratulations if the circumstances had permitted it.

Nearly overwhelmed by the outpouring, Reya said in a subdued voice, "Thank you. I was just doing my job."

Vila said, "Don't be modest. If I could do a job like that, well…" He remembered the adulation that Dannon had received from his own people and thought it would be nice to be _that_ appreciated.

Avon said, "The Chandarans don't seem to be as enthusiastic as you are."

Cally asked, "You noticed that?"

Avon said, "It was hard not to."

Sester's silence ended, "Reya did just crush one of the basic foundations of their society. No one takes kindly to having their illusions shattered."

Reya asked, "Did I just make a mistake?" She remembered that Argus had asked her not to humiliate them too much.

Sester said, "It depends on what you're trying to achieve." He turned to Argus and tried to ask with as little challenge in his voice as possible, "What _is_ your goal, by the way?"

Argus tried not to bristle at Sester's question, "We want to show them that women are far more capable than they give them credit for."

Avon asked, "Equality?"

Argus faced him, "Why not?"

Vila said, "Avon doesn't think anyone is equal with him."

Avon's glare could have melted ice.

Vila smirked.

Cally asked Avon, "Don't you think that there should be gender equality?"

Avon tried to keep the irritation out of his tone at all the assumptions. In the old days, he would have responded with a nasty snark that would have increased their negative opinions of him. He knew it was an illogical reaction and did him no favours but when he was on the defensive, his temper tended to get the best of him, _despite_ his rationality.

It was Cally who was asking though. For her, he wanted to give a real answer. She was one person he did not want to disappoint.

Avon thought it ironic that he was replacing one irrationality with another.

He said, "I do not think that gender equality in _this_ society is possible. Their beliefs were formed through centuries of prejudice. Prejudice is the kind of irrational behaviour that human beings excel at. It would be a waste of time to try to change it. Not to mention which, you are losing sight of our primary objective."

Cally said, "I think you're wrong. I think people can change."

Avon said, "I never said that they couldn't. I am only saying that we do not have the _time_ to change every society we come across. If your mission is to free slaves everywhere then by all means, free away. Then the time it takes would be well spent. If you divide your time and energies, in the end, both goals suffer. It is only logical. You have to decide. Is it more important to deal with the aliens? Or to free slaves?"

Argus said, "You make it sound so clinical, Avon. It's not. These are people we're talking about here. We're human. If we see suffering and oppression, it's hard to sit idly by and do nothing."

Avon said derisively, "Sentiment. That's always a good excuse for any _irrational_ behaviour. Is that the reason you'll give when the Andromedans regain control in this galaxy and destroy us all, including these slaves you were so moved by _sentiment_ to help? My emotions wouldn't let me think logically because I'm _human_?"

As Avon spoke, Argus studied him. Even though there was little change on Avon's face, he spoke with urgent energy and his eyes contained a dark passion. He believed what he was saying.

Argus said, "Avon, I see your point and I recognize that logically, you're right. But I also believe that we can _try_ to do both without sacrificing either goal. You're a pessimist and a pragmatist. That is your perspective and I respect that. Neither one of us is right or wrong. We're just different in the way we see what is possible and what should or should not be done. I also believe that despite what you say about being motivated by logic, you cannot sit idly by and do nothing either. You never have, no matter how much you try to fight it. In the end, you're no less human than we are."

Avon's voice tightened with anger, "_Don't try to manipulate me, Argus_."

For some reason, Avon's mind began filling with anger. Suppressed rage bubbled up to the surface. There was _hate_.

_No one will manipulate me again. No one will use me again. No one will force me. No one__._

There was a flash of memory. A familiar masculine voice but he couldn't identify who it was.

_You're a fool, Kerr. Do you really think that having intelligence should make any difference in the Federation? I will tell you what reality is._

Avon's mind exploded in pain. He groaned and gripped his head. The memory began to fade. _No! _He couldn't lose this memory, his mind desperately tried to grab onto it, refusing to let it go.

The others reacted in shock. Argus and Cally grabbed him as he crumpled to the ground. Avon didn't notice. His mind wasn't with them anymore.

There was another flash of recollection.

His own voice. _Logic __**has**__ to make a difference. _

He wanted it to make a difference. He needed it to. Too many things did not make sense. People did not make sense. They say one thing and do another. They were hypocrites. He was better off without any of them. The only thing he could trust was machines.

The memories crowded Avon's mind, each demanding his attention.

Avon's angry voice. _I will not adjust my research to match __**your**__ political agenda._

Another voice said. _That's where you're wrong. You will and there's nothing you can do about it._

Another explosion of pain in his head. Avon cried out. He was gasping for breath. Cally held him and tried to reach his mind while the others looked on worriedly; wanting to do something but there was nothing they could do.

_No one will touch me again. _

Cally's voice finally broke through. * _Avon! _*

Avon's confused mind reached for her. * _Cally? _*

*_ Yes, Avon! Come out of it! It's the memories again. You're caught in them. _* There was great relief in her projected voice.

The pain in Avon's head subsided, along with the memories. He opened his eyes and saw Cally looking down at him. There was fear and panic in her eyes. He had worried her again, even more than normal. Avon hated himself for doing that.

He reached up and touched her cheek. * _Don't worry. _*

* _I can't help it. *_

Argus asked, "Avon, are you alright?"

Avon turned his head to look at the others. He did not like having them see him like this. "I'm fine." He struggled to get up. Cally and Argus helped him, which was not what he had in mind, but he couldn't stand without them. He repeated, "I'm fine. What were we talking about?"

Argus could see that Avon wanted to act as if he had not just collapsed. His pride would not allow him to appear weak. Argus didn't want to stress him further. They needed to end this confrontation so that Avon could rest.

He said, "Avon. You've made your position very clear and so have I. I still want to try but I won't without you. No force. No manipulation. No emotional blackmail. If you still think that we would compromise our primary mission by doing this, then I will abide by your decision."

Avon's lips tightened in anger and his voice was icy. "I will not be pitied."

Argus said, "This is not pity."

"Do you expect me to believe that?"

"No." Argus didn't know what else to say.

Sester spoke up. "He _is_ trying."

Avon's anger directed itself at his nemesis. "No one asked for your opinion."

"Then you're a fool and so is he."

Argus also directed anger towards his rival. "This is _none_ of your business."

"That may be but neither of you seem to be able to handle this on your own."

Argus said scathingly, "And _you_ can?"

Avon asked with sharp cynicism, "What is your _game _this time?"

"No games but I don't expect you to believe me."

Argus said, "We don't."

"Very well. I'll go back to the ship."

Argus said, "Vila, get him back to the ship." None of the teleport operators would recognize any requests by Sester. Vila and Sester went off to the side to do that.

Argus turned to look at Avon. "What do you think?"

Avon replied, "We'll try it your way. For now."

"Thank you."

"But if I determine that our primary mission is being compromised?"

"Then we'll stop."

Avon asked sarcastically, "Can you?"

"I'll try."

Avon said accusingly, "You're an optimist."

Argus replied, "And you're a pessimist. The ship needs both of us."

"Perhaps."

Chapter Nine

Cally was in the dining area, gathering some items for Avon. He was currently resting in their cabin, under protest.

Sester came in for an afternoon meal. There wasn't much else for him to do. He kept a carefully neutral tone. "How is he?" he asked Cally as he picked up an empty tray.

This request was met with a distinctly unfriendly look from Cally. "What do you want?"

Sester sighed. "Nothing hostile. Honest. I just wanted to know how Avon was doing. After what happened when we were down on the planet…"

Cally's voice sounded as cynical as Avon's as she said, "I'm touched by your concern. He'll be fine. He just needs some rest."

"I doubt that." Sester ordered up a plate of assorted sandwiches and a strong, hot tea.

Cally' ever-present anger whenever she was near Sester began to surface. "_You_ should know."

Sester sighed again as he picked up the items from the dispensers and put them on his tray. "Yes, I know very well. I am the person who was responsible for some of it."

Cally was trying hard to maintain her anger at him but her 'senses' told her that he was experiencing regret. He seemed to be genuine in what he was saying but she still didn't trust him.

"_Yes_, you _were_." She picked up her tray headed towards the exit.

Sester asked, "Cally. Is Avon experiencing the nightmares every morning now? Just as the drugs begin to wear off?"

Cally stopped and turned back to him. She wondered what he was up to. "Yes. Now unless you have something useful to add, I'm leaving."

"I do have something."

Cally's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What is it?"

"When Avon was at the Detention Centre, he was kept on a very finely balanced mixture of drugs. It enabled a great deal of control over his physical, mental and emotional state."

What she was hearing was not making Cally feel better disposed towards Sester. In fact her anger was growing.

Sester did not have her psi abilities but he was very observant about certain indicators, not to mention, anyone with half a brain would realize what he was telling her would make her mad.

"Hear me out first, Cally. This will help Avon."

Cally's manner was rigid. "Keep going."

"There is one way to stop the morning nightmares."

"I am _not_ going to subject him to more drugs."

"You might have to. Not the drugs that regulate his system, something else. The only way to stop them is to wake him up _before_ he regains consciousness. Before the drugs begin to wear off."

Cally considered this idea. "You mean a stimulant?"

"Yes. By waking him up before the nightmares begin, he won't have to experience them. It will give his mind less need to recover every day. With the decrease in stress, you should begin to see improvement in other areas. His emotional state should stabilize."

"Will the other incidents decrease?"

"You mean, the collapses? Perhaps. It is probable that the incidents will decrease. With a rested and stronger mind, he should have greater control, but don't expect them to disappear. Have you been getting him to talk about them?"

"Yes, I've been trying to." Cally recalled her constant struggles to get Avon to open up. It was a slow and difficult process. Even though he knew that it was necessary, his natural instinct was to remain closed.

"Good. I knew you would understand what was needed. The nightmares prey on his deepest fears and traumas, some of which happened to him in the past, others we gave to him by manipulating his reality. The only way to stop them having a hold over him, is for him to deal with them."

"You're all…"

"Yes, I know and I'm sorry, Cally. That is why I'm trying to help him now."

She still didn't trust him but what he suggested was a good idea. "I will try your advice about using the stimulant."

**********

Avon stared at the plate of sandwiches that Cally had brought. He didn't feel like eating. Cally had just told him about the encounter with Sester.

"I should have thought of it." His normally impassive voice was tinged with anguish. "It's an obvious solution."

Cally said, "I should have too."

"You don't understand."

Cally wanted to put her arms around him and tell him that she did and that it was alright. Avon defined himself by his intelligence. It was an integral part of who he was. Any loss or failure in that ability affected him deeply. For him, it was not alright.

She didn't know what to say to him to make him feel better. Telling Avon that she valued him far beyond his mental abilities would not convince him. He would just see it as a form of pity, neither of which he could accept.

Cally said, "It won't always be like this. You will get better. We'll find a way. With the use of the stimulants, things should improve. Sester said that it should help you in other areas as well. Your mental control should get better."

He looked up at her, his eyes still held anguish. "You have hope?"

"Yes, Avon. I do."

"I…have never had that ability. I could never believe in things that I know aren't possible."

"Avon, did you believe that you would ever escape from Servalan?"

Avon's mind went back to those terrible days, after Servalan and Sester had taken away everything from him. The only thing he had left was something he never believed in, an irrational hope. It was not based on himself or his own abilities or plans but the knowledge that Cally and the others were alive somewhere and free.

He said to her, "I know what you want me to say and I can't. It would be a lie." Avon saw the sadness in her eyes. "But I did have hope. It was not for myself. It was hope for you and the others."

Cally could barely stop herself from sending mental reassurances and comfort. What Avon was telling her was that they had pushed him to the point where he had given up. His only hope had been in someone else's freedom. "Then can you accept that I have hope?"

Avon could see that she needed this. It helped her to go on. This was something he could understand. Avon replied, "Yes. I can do that."

**********

The second contest was held in a large empty, enclosed room. Vid cameras were stationed to cover every angle of the room. The Chandaran public was not to be denied any ounce of excitement.

The crew was in a preparation room just off the main contest chamber. Reya was decked out in a gun and holster ensemble, designed for fast draws. She was standing by, making last minute checks of her weapon.

Avon said, "This contest is one of nerve, speed and skill?"

Reya replied, "Yes. From what I understand, we will start off with both weapons holstered and then at the signal, we will draw and fire at each other. The first one to drop is considered the loser."

Vila said worriedly, "That sounds like a duel to the death."

Reya finished checking over her weapon and re-holstered it. "No, not this time." She made a quick practice draw with the weapon, nearly causing a startled Vila to jump back. Reya put the gun back. "These weapons are at half-strength. They carry a big jolt but they're not lethal."

Cally did not like the sounds of this. "So you keep firing at each other until one of you is incapacitated?"

"It doesn't have to be. It depends on our skill and accuracy. If we hit the right spot, then it should incapacitate almost instantly. For example, if I hit his gun hand, then the contest would be over. He would no longer be able to hold his weapon."

Vila said, "Then let's do that. Anything else sounds too painful." He almost shuddered at the thought of being a moving target. No one could pay him enough to do that.

Reya said, "Unfortunately, he will most likely be expecting it and will try to do that same."

"Copycat."

A slim smile touched Reya's lips. "We will see who copies whom then."

Argus, who had been speaking to President Brent, came over to them and asked, "Reya, are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." She nodded to him.

"Alright, let's clear the room." He let the others go ahead of him and then said to her, "Be careful."

She nodded.

The room was cleared and Dannon finally made an appearance. The two of them were alone while various announcements were made to the vid audience in the contest chamber.

Dannon asked, "Are you ready, Reya Reeve of the _Justice_?"

"Let's get on with it."

He handed her a small disk.

Reya turned the disk over in her hands and asked, "What is this?"

"It's the intermittent signal disk. You put it on your jacket. That's what makes the audio signal for tracking." Dannon slapped his own disk on his right shoulder. It stuck and blended into the jacket.

As she did the same with her own disk, Reya was having a bad feeling that she had not been told everything about this contest. "Why do we need this?"

Dannon looked at her with surprise. "Didn't someone tell you?"

"Tell me what?" She was getting a _very_ bad feeling.

"This contest is conducted in the dark. These audio disks emit intermittent signals."

The look on Reya's face became harder. "No one told me."

Dannon looked shocked. "I'm sorry."

She asked cynically, "Are you?"

"I win by skill, not by trickery. I am as outraged as you are. This is as much against me as it is against you. It's a disrespect for my abilities." Dannon did look outraged. "I'll have them stop this. We can do something else."

Reya said, "It doesn't matter. It's too late now. I'm sure that they'll make it look bad for me if any one of us asks that this match be terminated. We have to continue."

Dannon said, "You're probably right. Someone wants you to lose badly enough that they're willing to cheat to do it. I _am_ sorry."

"Yes, you've said that."

Dannon said, "I can arrange to lose. I don't have to be as accurate in my aim."

"No. You have to do what you normally do, anything else will become too complicated. They'll know that you're helping me and do something else. At worse, I will lose this contest and we will be tied."

Dannon said uncertainly, "I don't know."

"Well decide now because they've just announced us."

"Alright, Reya. I'll do it. Just be careful. I _am_ very good at this round. Remember, all they need you to do to end the contest, is to hit the ground and stay down."

"I will remember."

The door between the prep room and the chamber opened.

**********

Argus and the crew had been provided with prime seats overlooking the chamber. A glass wall separated them from the contestants below. There was a full spread of food and drinks on a side table. Vila went to check it out and said, "They don't spare anything here." He opened up a few of the bottles and checked out the contents. The sniff of choice alcohol filled his nostrils. He poured a generous helping. "Avon, check this out."

Avon had been looking at the computer terminal in the corner but came over. Vila handed him the glass and poured a smaller portion for himself.

Argus and Cally were looking down at the contest floor below and saw Reya and Dannon enter.

The voice of the announcer was heard in their room. "Contestants please prepare. There is to be no drawing of weapons until the signal."

Everyone took their seats around the window.

Reya and Dannon were twenty feet apart and facing each other. They both looked prepared.

The announcer's voice was heard again, "There will be five chimes. On the final chime, the contest will begin."

The excitement in the room increased with each sound of the countdown. Five. Four. Three. Two. There almost seemed to be a long pause before the final chime. One.

The room below was plunged into darkness just as two shots rang out, nearly at the same time.

The crew gasped in surprise. "What just happened?!"

The observation window seemed to shimmer for a moment and then they could see below again, except this time, it was still dark but the contestants seemed to be giving off some kind of glow. They saw Reya and Dannon roll and quickly get up again. The shots had come from them the moment the lights had gone out. They had both missed.

It was clear from the way they moved cautiously, feeling their way with their non-gun holding hand, that they couldn't see each other.

Avon touched the window, he could see the reaction of the energy field on his fingers. He said, "There's something unusual."

Vila said, "We _know_ that but what is it? Why is it so dark down there?"

Argus was not happy. "They didn't tell us the whole truth about this contest."

Avon said, "There is an energy field across this window that wasn't there before. It enables us to see the room below."

Cally asked, "You mean it's an infrared field of some kind?"

"Not quite but something similar."

Vila asked, "They want them to shoot each other _in the dark_?"

Argus said, "It increases the level of challenge."

Cally has been sensing the increased excitement levels at the edge of her consciousness. It wasn't just from the crew in the room. It was all around them. "It adds to the stimulation level of the audience."

They saw Dannon remove something from the right shoulder of his jacket and place it on his left forearm.

**********

Reya circled slowly, keeping her rifle in front of her. Her ears strained to hear something, anything; the slight scuffing of the shoes, an intake of breath.

There was nothing, just silence and the dark. Her own movements were controlled, making no sound. The whole room seemed to be waiting for one fatal mistake.

She lightly touched the disk that had embedded itself in her jacket. When was it supposed to sound? Dannon hadn't told her. He had only told her that it was intermittent. That could mean anything. It was most likely random.

Reya continued moving carefully, wary in case she accidently brushed up against her opponent and would have to move quickly.

They had both fired shots the moment the last chime had sounded. It had been a chance neither one could miss. The last split second when they could position each other by sight. Reya smiled to herself. Both of them were too good to allow such an opportunity to pass them by and they were too wary to stand and be stationary targets.

Reya's disk gave a short beep. Almost immediately, a shot raced towards her and she jumped sideways, turned her body, dropped and rolled. Several additional shots seemed to follow her movements, barely missing her as she continued rolling in one direction and then abruptly in another. Dannon was following her by the sounds she was making while trying to avoid being hit.

Reya flattened herself on the ground with the last roll and forced herself to move slowly and quietly. The shots stopped. She could only spare a mental sigh of relief. Fortunately, in the action, she still had a hold on her gun. Reya got up slowly and carefully. Her heart was beating faster, she hoped not loud enough to be heard in the silent room.

There was grim determination on her face. She would not concede this match easily.

**********

As Reya was trying to avoid being hit, there was much commotion in the room where the crew was helpless observing.

Vila shouted to the rolling figure below them, "Watch out!"

Avon said, "I doubt if she can hear you."

"How do you know?" asked Vila, who continued shouting. "Not left! Not left!"

Avon said reasonably, "It's logic. There is no sense for them to give us the ability to warn the Commander or to give her directions."

"I don't care. You never know, they might've made a mistake."

"This glass does not transmit sound."

"Well…I still don't care." Vila turned to the window again but things had fallen silent again and the action seemed to be over.

Avon heard Cally's voice in his head. *_ Avon, let him do it. It makes him feel better. He's worried about Reya and he cares. _*

Avon tilted his head and thought towards her, * _It's not logical to do something that will not help. _*

She told him, * _It does help Vila. When there is nothing that can be done, people still want to do something, even if it makes no difference. It comes from a __**need**__ to do something. You should appreciate that. _*

Avon turned his head to look at Vila. He noted the anxious and worried expression on his face. Vila looked as if he wanted to jump through the window if he could.

He said to Cally, *_ I will find a way. I might be able to adapt the generator for this energy field. _*

Avon said to Vila, "You had a good idea."

Vila asked perplexed, "What idea?"

"We could try to reach the Commander."

"But I thought you said that we couldn't."

"Not under the present circumstances. At least, not with our voices. How many tools did you bring with you?"

**********

Reya and Dannon continued playing their game of cat and mouse. Except for a few singes, they had barely been touched yet. Reya was not as experienced at this type of match where her visual senses were not being utilized, but she was not that easy a target either.

She could not understand why none of her shots had landed yet. From the position of the audio transmitter on Dannon's jacket, she should have hit something. The only thing Reya could think of was that he had moved the transmitter.

She couldn't be sure though. Since no one had bothered to tell her the full conditions of this contest, she could not risk moving her own and be in violation of whatever rules they had also not seen fit to tell her.

Her transmitter beeped again and she immediately switched directions, ran a short distance and dove to the ground as more shots followed her. Pain lanced her chest before she hit the floor. Reya could barely jerk around and keep rolling in a different direction. After a few more shots, that did not land, the firing stopped. Reya got up slowly, her free hand held over the area where she had been hit. She was in pain and gritted her teeth, trying not to make another sound.

_That was not half-power. _These people were determined not to give her any chance. She was certain that her own was probably at half-power or less.

If Dannon had moved his own transmitter then she could no longer aim her shots according to their old position. He could have moved the device anywhere on his person. Where should she aim?

**********

Cally exclaimed, "She's hit!"

They all watched anxiously as Reya got up again.

Vila helped Avon removed a panel from the side wall, after determining that they weren't being watched. Once the inner workings were exposed, Avon studied them carefully.

Vila asked, "What do you think?"

Avon said, "It's possible. I could use some of these to create a device that would interfere with t-band signals."

Argus, who had been paying intermittent attention to what they were doing, asked, "What would that do?"

"Their audio transmitters most likely use signals within the t-band range. If I can created a directed device, I can interfere with the audio signals being produced by the Commander's device."

Vila asked, "But wouldn't they get suspicious if it stops working?"

Avon replied with a mischievous smile that lifted the corners of his mouth, "It wouldn't stop the signals. It would just decrease the volume. For the purposes of the people controlling the signal, it would still be working and I would still allow some to go through without interference."

Cally said, "Then they'd think that there was something wrong with the transmitter? It had malfunctioned somehow?"

"Yes. When they check it after the contest, there will be nothing wrong with the unit."

Vila said, "Or they might think there was something wrong with their ears."

Argus said, "Do it, Avon. We need all the help we can get." He looked worriedly down at the contest below. Reya had been hit again. She appeared to have a slight limp. He knew that as long as she was still standing, she would not give up.

**********

The last series of shots had not touched Reya, but she had already received four hits from the previous times. She had a pronounced limp now and was in severe pain from the shot in her back.

There was one positive thing. Reya was almost certain that she knew where Dannon's transmitter was now. She had been able to determine that from her own experimental shots, trying out different configurations according to where it could be. The next opportunity would prove whether her theory was right.

The audio transmitter beeped. It wasn't hers. Reya fired two shots in rapid succession in the direction of the sound. She heard a cry of pain and a clatter as Dannon's gun hit the ground. Reya fired several more shots but there were no answering sounds of pain. Dannon had effectively rolled away.

But she knew where his audio transmitter was now. Her shots would no longer hit empty air.

**********

Reya was in considerable pain now but she knew that Dannon was probably no better off than she was. Her shots hit were hitting with more frequency whereas his were becoming more erratic. All she would have to do was hang on and keep playing.

Suddenly there was a loud chime and the lights turned back on. Reya and Dannon shielded their eyes from the blinding glare.

The announcer's voice was heard, "This contest has now concluded. The one hour time limit has been reached."

_Another thing they didn't tell us._

"The result of this trial is a draw." The announcer's voice was flat. He did not like delivering this pronouncement.

**********

Vila asked, "It's over?" He and Avon were still working on the jamming device.

Cally replied, "Yes. It appears so."

Argus said urgently, "Let's get down there!" They could barely keep up with him as he raced from the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Ten

Reya was immediately brought back up to the _Justice_ to be tended by Cally. Her injuries were not serious, especially given the advanced medical facilities of the ship, but they were painful. After expressions of support and concern, the others had cleared the room so that Cally could attend to her.

Reya now lay resting, her eyes closed, hovering in a state between tiredness and alert wakefulness, both of which were the result of the contest she had undergone.

Argus came in quietly in order not to disturb her rest. He stood by her bed, staring down at the person he loved more than his own life. He had always been proud of her and full of admiration; he was even more so now. She was a partner and a soul-mate; someone who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him and could also go toe-to-toe with him.

Every pain and injury she had suffered was personal for him. The battles were hers to fight but the burden of them was theirs to share.

He was angry _for_ her because he knew that until the final test ended, she would not allow herself the luxury of emotions that would hinder her performance. She was first and foremost a professional and someone who keenly felt her responsibilities to others.

Reya opened tired eyes and saw him staring down at her. He almost looked startled at her sudden consciousness. Reya said jokingly, "You look terrible."

He responded, "Well, I'm glad you're not with me because of my looks then."

Reya said with a light, teasing smile, "Maybe, just a little."

Argus managed to look embarrassed for some reason. He coughed and asked, "Uh…how are you feeling?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

Argus smiled wryly, "You sound like me."

Cally came back into the room and Reya asked her, "Can I rest back in my cabin?"

Cally responded to Reya but look pointedly at Argus, "Only if you _do_ get some rest."

Argus coughed and seemed to look embarrassed again.

Reya said with an amused twinkle in her eyes, "Maybe you should have Cally look at that cough."

Argus's face was taking on a distinctly reddish shade. "I feel fine. It's nothing. I just…well…"

Reya said to Cally, "Yes, I will be getting some rest."

Argus said earnestly, "Yes, she will." He was just glad that Reya was letting him back into her cabin. He didn't want to do anything that would make her change her mind.

"That's alright then."

**********

Avon was in his lab, staring intently at a vidscreen and making numerous entries. He was still working on breaking the encoding of the files from the planet where they had found the hybrid Auron-human children.

The lab was a neatly arranged place despite the clutter of various technical equipment spread around the room in various states of being dismantled. It was also a quiet place, far from the constant daily activities of the ship. Avon often came here to either be alone or to spend time with Cally while they worked on various projects together. Cally would have called it his refuge. Avon did not think of it that way. It was just a place where he could do his work, undisturbed by unwelcome distractions.

Vila came in carrying his compact equipment satchel and something else in his hands. "Can I work in here?"

Avon looked up from the monitor. "Only if you don't disturb me."

"I can do that."

The look on Avon's face was somewhat sceptical but he didn't object when Vila found a clear space at the table and sat down. Vila put the device that he had in his hands down on the table and began studying it. He opened his satchel up and laid some tools out.

Avon didn't recognize the device. He turned back to his own work but after awhile, his curiosity got the better of him and he asked, "What is that?"

Vila muttered absently but didn't look up, "What?" He touched a sonic probe against a switch and looked at the readings with interest and a crinkling of his forehead.

"What's that device you're looking at?"

Vila finally lifted his head from what he was studying. "It's a Cambrian lock. I'm trying to figure out a faster way to open it."

"What's the difficulty?" Avon got up and came over to look at the lock.

"It's the slider." Vila used the probe to point at the moving part. "See, it moves this way whenever the power line is cut and activates a secondary power unit plus it sets off the security alarms."

"Then disable the secondary before cutting the primary line."

"It won't work that way. You see this?" Vila pointed to another component.

"A trigger switch." Avon was getting into this problem. "It ties both systems together. Any deviation in one will set off the other?"

"You got it."

"That's a difficult problem but not insurmountable. You said that you've solved it but were looking for a faster solution?"

"I'm hoping to."

"What was your original solution?"

Vila looked over at the terminal Avon had been working on, "I thought you were busy?"

"I am but, as Cally would say, I need a break occasionally."

"Somehow, I don't think Cally would call this a break."

"It's my version of one," said Avon as he brought over his chair and sat down beside Vila.

They both started working on the tricky lock, each one throwing in ideas and testing them. Avon picked things up quickly and was able to make some good suggestions from his own technical expertise and analysis skills. Vila surprised Avon with his understanding and ability to problem-solve quickly. When it came to the understanding of locks and how to break them, he was the best.

When they had found a solution that they were both satisfied with, Avon asked suddenly, "Why do you hide your intelligence?"

Vila was startled by this question. Avon had never asked him something personal before. "Well, I think it's for the same reason that you _don't_ hide yours. We're both trying to survive. You get all kinds of unfriendly attention in the lower grades if people know you have brains. People want you to do things, usually things you don't want to do, if you know what I mean."

Avon understood that only too well. It did not pay to have intelligence in the Federation, not unless you had power or wealth enough to prevent others from using you. He looked at Vila with new eyes. "Perhaps you were smarter than I was."

Vila was shocked. He had never expected Avon to say anything like that. "How's that?"

"You hid yourself as a Delta and you acted the fool so that no one would suspect. You avoided being drafted into the military. You avoided…many things." His throat became tight and Avon's eyes focussed on something in the distance as his mind went back to his own past.

Vila noticed Avon's eyes starting to glaze over, he knew that this was not a good sign. "Avon!"

Avon's eyes refocused abruptly on Vila's face. He seemed confused, as if, for a moment, he couldn't remember what Vila was doing there.

An instinct made Vila ask, "Avon, _could_ you avoid it?"

"What?" Avon still seemed confused.

"Avoid attention you didn't want?"

"I…" No matter how much Avon concentrated, when he tried to consciously recall the memories, they never came. "It was too late."

It was Vila's turn to be confused. "Too late for what?"

Avon eyes reflected uncertainty as he struggled to understand the impressions he was experiencing, "I don't know."

Vila was finding this a confusing conversation himself but he was beginning to realize some things. He asked, "You don't remember?"

There was no longer just a confused look in Avon's eyes, there was a troubled one. Vila could see the rise of panic. This was definitely not good.

Vila said, "Avon, maybe we should stop talking about this?"

Avon's mind had been trying to concentrate; trying to regain control _before_ he lost control. "That's a good idea."

Vila reset the lock in order to test their new solution. Avon watched his fingers move deftly and skilfully. Avon's mind focused on the action and the intricate detail.

By the time Vila was ready, Avon was back to normal again.

**********

Argus met with President Brent in his private and much smaller office. This one was considerably less ostentatious than the main meeting chamber for receiving guests. It was designed for functionality and personal comfort and had little to do with intimidation factor. Brent was also without his officials and assorted attendants. Only a single, unobtrusive guard stood inside the door.

"I'm outraged that this would happen," said Brent after being told that the contest rules had not been explained fully to them.

He sounded sincere but Argus retained a guarded attitude. It wasn't smart to take anyone at face value these days, especially not leaders of oppressive societies, even if they didn't see themselves as such.

Under different circumstances, Brent could have been an entertaining man to be around. He had a dry sense of humour and an honest and open manner about him. At least, he seemed so on the outside.

Argus said warily, "Yes, we were quite surprised ourselves."

Brent asked, "Why didn't you say something?"

"We didn't know until after the lights went out. By then it was too late."

Brent nodded thoughtfully and regarded him carefully. "You thought it was a deliberate trap?"

Argus admitted warily, "It's hard not to think that way."

"Your woman must have known something was wrong when she was given the transmitter."

Argus bristled at the way Brent referred to Reya. "She's not, 'my woman'. And yes, she knew right away but like us she thought it was better to continue."

Brent smiled indulgently, "Of course. Your attitudes towards women are amusing but hardly practical. Even if your wo…I mean even if Reya is the exception to the rule, she still needs _guidance_. She could hardly manage on her own. Women are not as intelligent as men are. They're ruled by their emotions and trivial things. They don't understand the important issues. They don't have the strength of character that men do. They fall apart at every sign of stress. In the kind of universe we live in, can you imagine _them_ running things. We'd lose our empire in a matter of days, if not weeks."

Argus was glad that Reya was not here to listen to this. She'd be trying not to wring this arrogant man's neck. Argus did not want to get into an argument about this yet. They needed Brent's cooperation. Even though he felt like joining Reya in whatever damage she would feel like doing to Brent, they could not afford to antagonize him.

The aliens were trying to do something in this region. Argus's group hadn't discovered what it was yet. The last thing they needed was for the Chandarans or any of the other Alliances in this area to come under alien influence or control.

They had already tried to take over Sector 10 by subverting Reya's brother, Ellis. It had been close and they had nearly won. The aliens could not be allowed to do the same here.

Though he felt far from it, Argus said diplomatically, "We have a difference of opinion then. I don't agree. I think that women are just as intelligent and have the same strength of character, if not more, than men. But I am not here to debate gender politics."

Brent asked dubiously, "Surely you don't think that they could be as strong as men?"

Argus said, "Muscular strength-wise, perhaps not. Though I think some would surprise you. Reya definitely would. But I fail to see how that has any significance."

Brent responded as if Argus needed to have his blinders removed, "It makes all the difference. From the beginning, it has always been men who provided the protection and men who did the important things like going to war. Those things require strength, both physical and mental."

"I wouldn't call making war something to be proud of or the capacity for brute strength as making men more superior. If anything it encourages us to look for lesser solutions."

Brent argued, "You can't really believe that. War and strength are essential instruments of any state. Without them we would be wiped out by our neighbours very quickly. Don't tell me that you propose to fight the aliens by using something other than the use of military force and the capacity for war? Isn't that the ability that you want to use from us? Women aren't naturally inclined for such things."

"I don't disagree with the last point. Women aren't as naturally aggressive as men are and perhaps that's a good thing. Maybe if more of them were leading or had influence, this universe wouldn't be such an ugly and violent place. Perhaps we would find more solutions that don't require killing and destroying."

Brent scoffed, "I wouldn't have identified you as that naïve, Argus. I thought you used to be a soldier. One of the Federation's best?"

"I was. And I _am_ _still_ one of the best. Just not the Federation's."

"It must be the result of having women onboard your ship and allowing them influence. You've gotten soft. We do not allow that in our society."

Argus was still controlled as he said, "I wouldn't recommend testing whether I've grown soft or not. Reya and Cally are valuable members of my crew and add considerably to our capabilities. The ship wouldn't be the same without them."

Brent said sceptically, "It's hard to believe that any woman could be that important. I agree that women do have their uses but other than for the obvious ones, what else are they good for?"

"You've already seen what Reya can do. She is more than capable with military skills, but beyond that, she is also a military commander in her own right in the Athol Territories. A very capable, intelligent and successful one. I believe that if you give your females even half a chance, they would surprise you." Argus decided that mere words were not enough. "You said that you didn't know that the last contest had not been conducted fairly."

"Yes. I have no knowledge of what you described. I will have it investigated thoroughly and the guilty parties will be brought to justice. I'm an honourable man, Argus. I may disagree with your politics but I would not sabotage you just to prove you wrong."

Argus said, "Alright. Say that I believe you, for now. It may be one of your own people, someone less honourable than you are."

Brent said reluctantly, "That is possible. It's one of the things I've been trying to weed out since I came to power. I will not tolerate people who think that good intentions justify any kind of dishonourable action. You have my personal assurance that the last contest will be a fair one. I will check everything myself. Unless you don't trust me?"

"I would _like_ to trust you." Argus thought for a moment; he had an idea. "You said that one of the reasons why women are not given higher consideration here is because they don't have the strength, either physical or character-wise, that is required for a successful society?"

Brent still held fast to his opinions, "Yes, of course. If they had the ability to at least defend _themselves_ that would make things different; they would be less of a burden. But even that we have to do for them."

Argus gave Brent his suggestion. "Then I propose a change in the final challenge. No weapons. Purely hand-to-hand combat. That way there are fewer opportunities for sabotage. You've given your word but can you guarantee that you will have full control of everything and at all times?"

Brent conceded, "You're right. I can't. If someone was determined to sabotage the contest, it would be hard to stop them."

"So let's give them fewer opportunities by removing the complications. Weapons can be sabotaged and any props required for the contest can be altered."

Brent asked, "You have confidence in your security officer?"

"I would pit her against your best."

"Very well. Hand-to-hand it will be. We will use the same chamber as the last contest. It's a sealed room. No play there for a saboteur. We can agree upon the rules here, between the two of us."

"That sounds fair." Argus asked, "What happens when my security officer shows that a woman can beat a man in physical combat? Would that change your mind?"

Brent didn't seem hostile or closed to Argus's proposal but neither was he in favour. "Change my mind? Probably not. But I might be inclined to listen to more of what you have to say and perhaps talk to this Reya of yours."

"That's all I ask," said Argus.

**********

After talking to President Brent, Argus went back to the ship to look for Vila and found him in Avon's lab.

Argus said, "Vila, I need you to go make some friends among the Chandarans. Try to talk to some of the women, if you can find them. The men might be a bit touchy about them from the looks of things so be discreet. Don't take any risks you don't have to."

Vila asked, "Did something happen?"

"I've been talking to President Brent. He's agreed to change the final contest to a hand-to-hand fight."

Vila looked mystified, "Is that supposed to be better?"

Argus explained, "Yes, it gives less scope for sabotage and I think it may open up Brent's eyes further when he sees a woman beating a man in physical combat."

Vila was very unsure of this idea. "It _sounds_ like a good idea. And I'm sure the Commander is good. Not that I've seen her fighting. I mean, I'm sure she can beat me any day of the week, but I'm sure the Chandarans will pick someone a lot more…you know."

"I've asked for their best."

Vila's mouth dropped open.

Avon asked, "Are you out of your mind?"

"I don't think so. I want to try something other than violent revolution to change this society. Brent said that they respect strength and that women aren't even able to defend themselves. I want to show them all that they're wrong."

Avon said, "You're not just out of your mind, you're insane. Is one insurmountable obstacle not enough for you? Do you have to add another one?"

Argus said with confidence, "Reya can do it."

Avon replied, "That's not what I'm referring to. As much as I hate to admit it, Sester was right. You're trying to change their illusions. Is it a wise thing to be doing?"

Argus, "You know, there's one thing I didn't understand about the whole conversation."

Avon wished Argus had included him in the discussions with the Chandaran President. There were some things he would have preferred to see and hear in person. "What was it?"

"Brent never once told me to mind my own business or that I was interfering in the internal affairs of another Sector."

Avon contemplated this. "That _is_ odd but it might just mean he's keeping his true intentions from you."

Vila asked, "What do you think he's up to?"

Argus agreed with the caution. "We need to find out then."

Avon said, "Preferably before it's too late."

Argus asked, "You're presuming the worse?"

Avon said, "I think it would be stupid not to, under the circumstances."

Vila added, "Just look at what they did to the Commander. It's hard to believe the President didn't know. Wouldn't make him much of a leader, would it?"

Argus said, "Vila, it's up to you. I will keep talking to Brent."

Avon said, "And I will create some insurance."

"Buy some insurance? Why?" asked a perplexed Argus.

"No. Create."

Chapter Eleven

The best place to find information when you're not that familiar with a place was a bar of some sort. It didn't matter where you were in the galaxy, people with a little liquor in them tended to be easier to talk to. Of course, those with too much could be almost impossible to talk to with any degree of reasonableness.

Vila found a popular bar with a steady stream of happy-looking clients. The Fighting Ancra had a picture of a huge, furred dark brown animal with sharp looking horns and claws. Not a big draw for him but on this planet, Vila imagined it might possibly be a family pet.

He stepped into the bar and was instantly assaulted by loud, boisterous sounds of men singing and shouting to each other. Singing?

Vila hoped it was not part of their custom and was more a result of too much alcohol. The last singing he did was for the Auron-Human children but those were lullabies. Vila doubted if those would be well received here. He'd probably be thrown out or at the very least jeered at and told to shut up. His repertoire did include Delta drinking songs. Not great on words or tune, but for someone drunk, musical criticism tended to be very forgiving.

He squeezed himself a place at the crowded bar. A sharp-eyed bartender asked him, "What'll you have?"

"Anything on tap," replied Vila. It was always good to have a mug of something with you in a bar. It helped you blend in and seem part of the crowd. Not to mention, talking to people was thirsty work.

The bartender stared at him strangely, making him feel as if he had a big "Outworlder" sign painted on his forehead. The man went to get his drink and Vila looked around, taking in the atmosphere.

He needed someone a little less boisterous and busy. The bartender slid a mug towards him. "Fifteen credits." Vila paid him with a credit marker and took, what he hoped, was a manly enough swig out of the mug. He nearly choked. It was just a bit too aggressive and some of it had gone down the wrong way. Vila tried to cough himself back to full breathing mode and pressed a hand to his chest, spilling half of his mug in the process.

A gruff amused voice laughed and said, "You drink like that and you'll drown before you get to the bottom."

Vila glanced up at his impromptu audience and choked out, "And me not knowing how to swim."

The gruff voice laughed again and slapped him on the back. He was a short, angular-faced man wearing a dark shirt with a striped grey design that cascaded from his right shoulder down to his waist. The man slapped him on the back again, presumably as a gesture of help or friendship. Vila really wished the man would stop before he suffered severe bruising.

The gruff man introduced himself, "The name's Viser."

"Vila."

"Where're you from Vila?"

Vila took a more manageable swig from his mug and said, "Oh here and there. I travel a lot."

"Sounds exciting _and_ tiring." Viser took a drink from his own.

Vila eyed the man speculatively. Viser seemed the friendly type. "What do you do?"

"Gunnery specialist on one of the new destroyers. Was injured in the last offensive against the bloody Cerellans." Viser tapped his leg that was resting on the bar step. "On medical leave until this heals." His voice got louder as he said, "_**Can't wait to get back into it**_."

Vila looked at him curiously. It almost sounded as if Viser wanted to make sure someone heard he was eager to get back into battle. Why? Vila would have thought that in a society like this, it could be assumed.

_Don't assume anything. _That had been Avon's advice to him before he had come down. It sounded like good rational advice. Well, from Avon, he wouldn't be getting any other kind. But Vila was also looking for something else. Logic was all fine and good but people were rarely that. At least in Vila's experience.

These people loved war and fighting, thought shooting first and asking no questions was a good thing, had a low opinion of women and their sensibilities and they were willing to do anything to win. Vila didn't like them. It would serve them right when Reya beat their best fighter and gave them the shock of their lives. He was looking forward to it.

For some reason, Vila thought of Sester.

How did people get like this? Were they always this way? What were the determining factors in this society? What were the human dynamics?

He was sure the psychostrategist would have all kinds of analysis techniques to try to understand these people. Vila didn't, but he did have his own instincts and intelligence.

What he needed was a combination of Avon and Sester, with a good dash of himself.

The best way to reach anyone was to show interest in what _they_ were interested in. It didn't hurt that you had some skill and knowledge in that area yourself. Vila asked Viser, "What's the firepower on those new destroyers like?"

Viser's eyes lit up.

**********

Reya was leaning against Argus and his arms surrounded her as they sat resting against the bulkhead while on the bunk in their cabin. She was somewhat drowsy but she didn't want to sleep yet. They had done nothing but talk and hold each other tonight. It felt good to be together. She had missed this.

Argus said, "I thought you'd never let me back into your cabin."

A light smile crossed Reya's face. "I would never do that to you. Besides this is really _your_ cabin. Mine was one of the guest cabins."

He hugged her closer. "It's ours."

"Yes, it is."

Argus's mind went to the final contest that was to be held in two days. The Chandaran President had offered the extra days in order to give Reya time to recuperate. He was doing all the things required to maintain the image of being honourable. It was appreciated, but Argus was keeping a wait-and-see attitude.

They had avoided talking about the contest until now. Argus said, "President Brent agreed to let you take a look at their fighter this afternoon."

"Good."

"Are you alright with it? The fight, I mean. I didn't have time to ask you first."

"You did what you thought was best. I trust you."

The cabin was quiet except for their conversation. There was peace here and contentment.

Argus traced his hand down her arm. "I can't wait to see their faces."

"Any special requests?"

Argus chuckled. "They have no idea what they're going up against. They have a very low opinion of women. If I told you what Brent said to me, you'd probably want to beat them all to a pulp."

"I can do that."

Argus chuckled again. "Did anyone tell you that you can be a very bloodthirsty woman?"

"Not recently." Reya smiled in amusement.

"But seriously. They don't think that women have the strength or the brains to beat a man or to contribute meaningfully to society. Other than biologically."

Reya said fiercely, "Alright, I _will_ beat him to a pulp."

"Brent or the fighter."

She turned around and said, "I can do both."

"Reya?"

She grinned. "Don't worry. I know what to do. They don't think we have the brains or the ability to beat them at their own game? I will show them both. Are you up to a bit of sparring later?"

Argus grinned too. "You know I'm always ready for that."

**********

Cally entered Avon's lab. He had spent all of the previous day here and had come back to their cabin looking as if he hadn't slept in days.

The stimulant Sester had suggested was working though. Cally had added a cardiac stabilization mixture as well in order to decrease the stress to Avon's heart or it would have been too dangerous.

Avon was working at his workbench, his head bent over a device that he was applying a metal fuser to. He was absorbed in what he was doing.

Cally said, "I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch with me before I go on my shift."

Avon was startled by her voice and looked up. "I didn't hear you come in."

"You were preoccupied. Are you hungry?"

Avon thought for a moment, assessing his own physical condition. His stomach did seem to be registering hunger. He glanced at the time indicator on the terminal screen. It appeared that he had missed the period that most people on the ship associated with lunch time.

Avon tended not to follow the regular ship schedule. When he was busy, as he invariably was, Avon ate when he had time to notice the need to eat. He knew that it frustrated Cally to no end that she couldn't get him to keep regular meal times. It also didn't help that at the Detention Centre, he had learned to ignore physical discomforts such as hunger. He said, "I do appear to be hungry."

Avon looked down at the device he was working on. He didn't have much time to complete it. The contest was tomorrow and it had to be finished. He couldn't afford to step away from his work.

But Cally wanted him to eat and she wanted to spend time with him.

Avon thought for a moment. "Would you mind if we brought the food back here?"

It was a compromise he hoped she would accept.

"Alright, Avon. But can you spend some time, just eating? "

A counter-compromise.

He told her, "I can manage a brief period."

Cally held out her hand to him. He stared at it and then back at the device, as if trying to decide what to do. Avon took her hand and got up from the workbench.

**********

Their guide on the planet, when Reya and Argus went down to look at the Chandaran fighter, was Dannon. He appeared to be concerned the moment he saw them.

Dannon said, "Are you sure this is a good idea? I know it was your idea but I don't think you know what you're getting into."

Reya replied, "Don't worry about me. I can handle myself. How's your leg?"

"I'm fine. You look a lot better though. Look, Reya, I know you can handle yourself with weapons and very well. I hate to admit it but if our last contest hadn't ended when it did, I know I would've lost. You had my mark by the end."

"You're being modest. You hit me more times than I did you."

Dannon shook his head. "You were still standing. I could barely walk. When you started hitting me, your shots were better placed than mine. Most people don't know that but someone _must have_ else they wouldn't have stopped it when they did."

Argus asked warily, "You mean that there was no one hour time limit?"

Dannon said, "No. There never was. It was supposed to be until the first one drops and doesn't get up. If they had let it go on, it would have been _me_." There was an anxious expression on his face, as if he was afraid of something.

Argus asked, "What else aren't you telling us?"

Dannon looked at Reya with great concern. "You already won the first contest. We tied on the second. Even if we win the third one, it's still a tie."

Reya said with understanding, "Even if it's a draw, we still win and have made our point."

Dannon said, "_Yes_. No one expected you to get past the first contest or show this kind of skill and ability. Even if you tie, _we lose_."

Argus was also understanding something else, "You're afraid that they will do something drastic in the final contest?"

"_Yes_! They _can't_ let Reya win and they will have to make sure that it's a very _decisive_ win."

Reya asked, "Do you think they'll try to kill me?"

Dannon had a very troubled expression on his face. "I'm afraid they might. In my society…winning is everything. We don't accept failure. For that, most of us are willing to do anything."

Reya challenged, "Then why are you telling us this? Don't you want your people to win?"

The look in Dannon's eyes was one of a man in great conflict. He said to Reya, "I don't want my people to lose but I don't want you to get hurt either. And definitely not killed."

Reya asked, "Why?"

"As a shooter, I'm the best in the Alliance. No one has ever come close to beating me before and you not only did that, you have made me believe that you _can_ _beat_ me. I respect that, even if other people won't. I would never have believed that I would say that of a woman."

Reya asked, "Has your opinion of women changed then?"

"Of you, yes."

She pressed, "Are you at least willing to consider that more women can surprise you? Even your own?"

Dannon didn't seem that thrilled at the prospect but he was telling the truth when he said he had come to respect her. "I might be willing to talk about it some more."

Reya knew that overcoming centuries of tradition and ingrained prejudices could not be expected to be achieved overnight. She welcomed Dannon's honesty though. "That would be appreciated."

They had arrived at their destination. A large training facility. Dannon led them to the fighter's training area on the third floor.

There was a large, tall, muscular man giving a demonstration of sorts. He was much larger than Argus. Reya and Argus looked at each other, they were not surprised.

Dannon told them, "This is Gravis. He's been our free-range fight champion for the last five years. He destroys opponents."

Reya watched Gravis carefully as Dannon and Argus continued talking.

Argus asked, "Free-range?"

"Yes. A free-range fighter can use any technique. Punching, kicking, holds, anything really."

"And destroying of opponents?"

Dannon had not lost his worried look. "He has a reputation of being vicious. Most people won't even fight him. He has a tough time finding sparring partners. Well, willing ones at least."

They all watched Gravis for awhile. Reya remarked, "He's good. He doesn't have the speed or flexibility restrictions that some men of his size are hampered with."

Dannon replied sadly, "I'm afraid not. He _is_ our best."

She asked, "You said that he's proficient at both punching, kicking and holding techniques?"

"Yes, all of them."

Reya said, "Alright, I've seen enough."

Dannon said, "I'm sorry."

Reya gave him a light smile. "You don't need to worry about me but it is appreciated."

After they went back to the ship, Argus asked, "What do you think?"

"It will be close, but I can beat him. Do you think you can ask Avon to break into their computer systems? I want to know as much about their free-range fighting techniques as he can find. I'll need it if we're to make _**our**_ win decisive."

Chapter Twelve

Argus approached Avon at the end of the day. Avon was still in his lab and was skirting close to the time when Cally would be wondering why he hadn't stopped working yet. Argus told him Reya's request to break into the Chandaran computer network.

Avon looked back down at the device he was working on and picked up a phase calibrator and turned it on. It produced a slight humming sound. He remarked, "You don't need me."

This wasn't what Argus was expecting to hear. "What do you mean we don't need you? You're the computer expert."

Avon applied the calibrator to one of the circuits. "That kind of information isn't likely to be classified. Basic information on fighting techniques should be available on their public information archives. Just ask one of the military engineers. They should be able to handle a simple uplink that requires no decryption."

"I guess you're right. I'll go ask one of them. How's your oscillator device going?"

"It'll be done in time."

"That's good to hear." Once his task was out of the way, Argus realized Avon's shoulders were slumped and his face looked as if he hadn't slept in days. Argus was immediately concerned. "Avon, why don't you get some rest? This can wait until tomorrow."

Avon glanced up at him. He wondered if Cally was behind this request. "No, it can't and it will take even longer if you insist on bothering me with these trivial requests."

Argus felt guilty. He had been the one who had just asked an already over-worked man to do more. Avon acted tough and he had so many abilities that it was easy to forget that he was more fragile than ever. The two heart attacks had taken a lot out of him, despite the advanced medical facilities of the ship. Argus reminded himself that he had to be more careful about Avon's health and much less demanded in his expectations. He had to get Avon to rest.

Argus regarded this stubborn and proud man and wondered how to reach him in a way that wouldn't make him even more stubborn. "Avon, you said that if anything were to interfere with our primary mission, we should stop?"

"Yes. You agreed to that."

"Then I think you should stop."

This time, Avon straightened up and gave him a hard look. "Explain."

"If you suffer a physical collapse because you won't take care of yourself, then you're compromising our primary mission. We need you, Avon. This is no attempt at manipulation. It's just a statement of fact. We are much less effective without you."

"No doubt." For Avon, it was also a statement of fact. He continued to stare at Argus with a hard look on his face.

Argus said, "I know it's partially my fault. I shouldn't push you so hard. It's just that…we _do_ need you. But I'd rather step back a bit in what we're doing because the alternative would be to lose you and we can't afford that."

Avon bent down over the device again and said, "There's no need to repeat yourself. You've made your point."

"Oh. _Are_ you going to get some rest?"

"After I make this final set of calibrations." Avon applied the calibrator to the circuit he had been working on before.

"How long will this take?"

"Not long." Avon changed the settings on the calibrator and moved it to a different circuit.

"Do you mind if I sit here for awhile?"

Avon wondered if Argus couldn't be less obvious. He looked up again. "You don't trust me?"

"I thought that I might be able to help. Speed things up a bit."

Avon said in a tone that did not expect a positive response. "You're conversant with phase oscillator technology?"

"No. You know I don't. But I do know some of these tools."

"You are planning on handing me tools as a form of _help_?"

"I know it's not much. I could take some readings for you if you need that. Or make notes, or…"

"Tensor driver," Avon told him as he bent his head over the unit again.

"The…what?" Argus was bewildered by this abrupt change in the conversation.

Avon said dryly, "It's the…"

"Yes, I know what it is." Argus picked up the tool and handed it to him.

A half hour later, as Avon finished up, he said unexpectedly, "Thank you."

Argus wasn't sure he heard correctly. "What did you say?"

"I am not repeating it a second time."

"You're welcome."

**********

If there was such a thing as grim excitement then that would describe the mood around the fight chamber when Reya, Argus, Avon, Cally and Vila arrived. They all seemed to be the focus of attention, especially Reya and to a lesser extent Cally.

"I feel like a celebrity," said Vila. "Or something caught on a pursuit ship scanner."

Avon felt distinctly uncomfortable at all the eyes trained in their direction. "Let's get to the observation room. I need to prepare."

Argus said, "You're right. I'll go with Reya to the prep room. The rest of you go upstairs."

Vila said to Reya, "Knock'em dead. I mean, you can really, if you want." She still did make him a bit nervous.

Reya gave him a brief grin, "I will keep that in mind."

Cally approached her and said warmly, "I know you don't need any luck but I wish it just the same." She hugged Reya.

"Thank you."

From the way the others looked at him, Avon knew something was expected of him. Simple platitudes didn't seem appropriate and he did not hug, at least no one except Cally.

Reya asked him, "No need for luck, Avon?"

Avon replied, "_**You**_ do not win by luck. Everything else, I will take care of."

"You'll watch my back?"

"We all will."

"Thank you, Avon."

Vila said with a teasing grin, "I think I'm going to cry."

Avon glowered at him.

**********

Reya was warming up in the prep room while Argus watched. He remarked, "You're beautiful."

"Stop doing that. I need to focus."

Argus suppressed a grin. "Alright. Do you need anything before I go?"

"Something afterwards? I'm sure you can think of something suitable."

Argus grinned, "I think I might be able to manage that." His face took on a more serious expression as he said, "Fight well, Reya." It was the wishes of one fighter to another.

Reya nodded solemnly. "I will."

**********

Reya and Gravis stood facing each other as the announcer talked to his virtual and non-virtual audience. They had both been put through a scanner to ensure all parties that there would be no surprises for either of them. The chamber was now sealed until the end of the contest. No one would be able to gain access until it was concluded.

Gravis wore a black, not-very-subtle, short-sleeved tunic that accentuated all the reasons why the Chandarans were already anticipating a celebration. Reya was in a loose, white and tightly belted tunic that was both comfortable and functional.

The contrast between the two challengers couldn't be more obvious. In size alone, Reya was a full head shorter than her opponent. In fierceness, the look on Gravis's face left nothing to the imagination. Reya on the other hand was relaxed and conveyed nothing but quiet confidence. She was light on her feet and moved as if she barely touched the ground. Gravis's movements were also quick, but there was no question that his steps would leave marks on the unsuspecting.

The audience cheered as Gravis was announced. Speakers from every corner of the chamber echoed confidence in their champion. It reminded Reya of the adulation that Dannon had entered the field with. These people seemed to idolize winners. She doubted if she would receive the same attention when she won.

Reya was confident, but not overly so. She trusted her own abilities but she did not underestimate her opponent. Her perusal through the Chandaran archives had netted some interesting information and confirmed something she had expected. The Chandarans, being dominantly male-oriented, primarily relied on strength and speed. Their fighting styles, as expected in an aggressive culture, were very good but there was an entire range of fighting techniques they seemed to be ignorant of. Reya was going to take advantage of that lack.

One did not have to have superior strength to win. In fact, if you knew how to do it, you could make your opponent's strength work against them.

"Competitors, take your marks."

Reya and Gravis stepped forward and took positions near arm's length of each other.

"Begin!"

The start command had barely ended when Gravis immediately lunged forward at almost breakneck speed and tried to land a punch at Reya's midsection.

Reya had already anticipated his eagerness and need to establish dominance early. Before Gravis's fist reached her, she had turned her body just as quickly and took a step to the side. Gravis's punch passed harmlessly past her. She could feel the rush of air from the force of his intended blow. At the same time, Reya immediately put her hand up, palm heel facing outwards and made a quick jab as Gravis passed her unable to stop, causing his head to snap back.

Reya promptly stepped out of the way as Gravis had a moment of confusion. The audience was just as shocked as their champion was. They fell silent.

It didn't take Gravis long though, when he levelled eyes at her again, it was with a realization that he should not underestimate her.

His voice had a low warning, "You will _not_ be doing that again."

Reya's voice was lighter but no less determined. "I don't think that's up to you."

The audience began jeering, as if by their rudeness, they could lend further strength to their hero.

The two opponents circled each other, making preliminary strikes to test each other.

She saw Gravis tense one leg. She was ready. As her opponent raised the other leg in a kick to her head, Reya immediately stepped forward inside his kick and with both hands applied force against his chest, sending him sprawling backwards. He hit the ground with a loud thud.

Reya stepped quickly away again. Gravis got up and glared at her with a scowl on his face. He lunged forward again with a quick combination of punches. Reya had her hands up to block most of them. She slowly gave ground, stepping backwards as he rained more blows against her upraised arms. The audience had regained its voice and was cheering for him to hit her.

Without warning, at the next punch, Reya blocked and grabbed his striking hand by the wrist, turned quickly, and with a pull on his hand and a sweep of her foot, caused him to fall crashing to the ground again. There was a surprised "oooh" from the audience.

Reya shook her arms as she waited for Gravis to get up again. His blows were like being hit with tempered metal. She could already feel the bruises forming.

**********

Up in the observation room, the crew was cheering for Reya as she gave a clinic on how to beat a stronger, overly-confident opponent. It was unfortunate that their voices were drowned out by all the people who wanted her to lose.

Cally was smiling; she recognized most of the moves Reya was using to beat her opponent. Reya had taught them to her and Jenna during their practice sessions on the ship.

Cally had a brief pang of sadness as she thought about Jenna. She hadn't thought about her former crew mate in a long time. Cally wondered where she was now and if she had finally come to her senses.

Vila was almost jumping up and down each time Gravis hit the ground. "Did you see that?" he would shout and grab Avon's arm, or anyone's arm that was near enough to be grabbed. He was so happy that he was almost bursting.

Avon had moved a discreet distance away and watched the match carefully. His eyes swept the wall where the other observation booths were. He held the device he had been working on in ready hands.

Argus was leaned forward, his head nearly touching the glass. He had not made a sound.

Far below them, Gravis seemed to find standing a problem as he kept crashing to the ground with disturbing regularity.

This contest would end when one opponent could no longer get up.

**********

Reya wondered what it would take to get this man to stay down. He was not going to go easily.

Gravis directed a kick towards her again; Reya took a step backwards and stumbled. Gravis's foot connected with her head and Reya went down. The force of the blow and the contact with the ground stunned her. She rolled and tried to get up quickly but her limbs felt weak. Gravis kicked her again as she was half-kneeling on the ground, causing her to fall forwards. She tried to get up again on still-weak arms and he came up behind her and put her in a head-lock.

Reya instinctively tucked her chin in and pushed against his elbows with her hands to relieve the pressure.

He was trying to kill her.

A quick snap and it would be all over and she would be the one to stay down, permanently. Reya put more pressure on his elbows and tried to break his hold but her arms seemed to have no strength.

**********

"Avon!" Argus shouted as he saw what was happening.

Avon held the phase oscillator device in front of him and pointed it towards the other observation booths. He was intently staring at the small monitor screen as he slowly moved the emitter end from one end of the chamber to the other, trying to find the source of whatever signal was causing Reya problems below them.

Argus said frantically, "Avon! Quickly!" He tapped on his teleport bracelet. "Lt. Dain stand by with your team."

The answering reply came from Dain, "Ready on the teleport pad, sir."

"Avon?" Argus asked again.

"Nothing yet," reported Avon as he continued his methodical sweep of the chamber.

"Well, if you don't hurry, there will be nothing. Absolutely nothing!"

Avon said absently, "Then stop distracting me."

Argus hit the window with his fist in frustration. Below them Gravis's superior strength was starting to be of use as he tried to force Reya's head to an angle that would facilitate his desire for murder.

Argus expelled an angry breath, his fist was still clenched. "Vila, Cally. You're with me. Avon contact Dain when you have the coordinates. Come on!" He headed for the exit.

The urgency in his voice caused Vila and Cally to follow him immediately. Vila asked, as he tried to keep up, "Where are we going?"

"We're going to stop this!" said Argus as he raced ahead of them. The crowds of excited people slowed their progress as they tried to shove their way to the lifts.

As she elbowed past more people, Cally said, "This isn't getting us anywhere."

Vila said, "I think I saw stairs back there." He pointed in the direction of the crowd they had just shoved their way past.

Argus said in a contained but still clearly frustrated voice, "We can't risk the teleport in case Avon needs it. He's still got our best chance. Split up! You two keep going for the lift. I'll take the stairs." He ran back the way he came and Vila and Cally kept pushing forward.

**********

In the fight chamber, Reya was starting to lose consciousness with the continued pressure of Gravis's arms around her neck. She tried one more move to slip out from under Gravis's grasp. Nothing she tried so far had worked, her whole body still felt weak. She knew it was partially from the lack of oxygen but also because something had gone terribly wrong.

**********

"There." Avon said to himself. The phase oscillator revealed a steady beam of energy streaming from one of the side observation booths. The signal was on such a low range he had nearly missed it. Avon locked the position and tapped his teleport bracelet. "Dain, I'm sending the coordinates."

"We're ready, sir."

Avon waited. There was no telling what kind of opposition Dain and his men would find in the other observation room. Argus, Cally and Vila had obviously not made it to the fight chamber yet.

He tapped his bracelet again, "Argus. I've sent Dain and his team over."

Argus's voice responded, "Good! Let us know the moment he stops whatever it is. We'll keep trying to access the fight chamber. I'm nearly there now. Argus out."

Avon waited and watched grimly as Reya desperately made one last attempt to dislodge herself from Gravis's grasp.

**********

As Gravis nearly forced her head into position, Reya felt a renewal of strength in her limbs. There was no hesitation. She threw off her would-be murderer and snapped to her feet. Gravis stumbled backwards and looked at her with shock. She could see the look in his eyes. _This should not be happening_. They said to her. Gravis got up slowly.

Whatever had caused her to feel weak before; Reya knew that Gravis had something to do with it. And from his expression, he _knew_ that she knew.

The appearance on Reya's face made Gravis back up a step. She had smiled at him. There was no warmth in that smile. It was one that touched her eyes and made them full of darkness. There was just a flash of quick anger and then she moved resolutely towards him, causing Gravis to back up again.

Gravis was going to be acquainted with what it felt like to incur the wrath of woman who did not take kindly to being murdered. Falling on the ground repeatedly was about to be the least of his worries.

**********

Argus, Cally and Vila all reached the entrance of the fight chamber at the same time, just as Avon reported that everything was fine. They watched from the various conveniently placed view screens as Reya proceeded to show them all why it was a bad idea to get on her wrong side.

"Argus!" Dannon called his name and frantically waved his arms at them from down the corridor. "Over here!" As they came up to him, Dannon lowered his voice and said, "You have to come with me, quickly! Please!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Thirteen

Argus, Cally and Vila followed after Dannon. The urgency in his voice urged them to move faster. "We have to get there before anything happens!"

Argus grabbed Dannon's arm and yanked him to a stop. "We will not move a step further until you tell us what the rush is."

Dannon was highly agitated. "It's the President. I think they're going to kill him!"

Argus said angrily, "_You mean the President who just nearly let my security officer get murdered on your public viscast service_?"

"You don't understand. It wasn't the President. It was someone else and that someone is trying to assassinate the President! Please! You're the only ones I can trust. I don't know who else to go to."

Cally asked, "Why should we believe you?"

Vila asked as well, "Yeah, why should we? You might be one of them. Or maybe you had something to do with what happened to the Commander and you're just leading us all into a trap!"

Dannon was nearly frantic but he explained, "I didn't have anything to do with that. I swear it! I was just as horrified as you were when I saw what was happening!"

Argus asked, "How can we trust you?"

"I…when I saw what was happening to Reya, I ran to the Presidential observation booth, it's on the fifth floor. The announcer broadcasts from there. I thought, I might be able to do something. Get them to stop it. But..." There was panic in his eyes. He pleaded, "Please, you have to hurry! I'll tell you everything later."

Argus was not to be deterred. They were in unfriendly territory and he did not want to walk into something without understanding what was happening. With a steely voice and equally hard eyes, he said, "No. You will tell us now. But we can move towards the lift while you explain."

Dannon said, "There's a special one that goes up to the fifth floor. It's just ahead over there."

Argus told Dannon, "Hand me your pistol. Go slow and keep ahead of us. Cally, Vila keep a 360." He made eye contact with Cally. She nodded.

**********

As they pushed their way to the lift, Dannon, keeping his voice low, told them the rest of the story. "When I got near the Presidential booth, I saw guards wearing the Presidential seal. They were dragging the body of another Presidential guard into the observation booth. There was blood on his uniform. I could tell that he had been shot."

Vila said, "_That_ doesn't sound good but maybe _he_ was the one who tried to assassinate your President and the guards got him."

Argus said, "Vila has a good point. If that was all you saw…"

Dannon said, "Yes. It was all I saw, but not all that I _heard_. I couldn't see anything inside the booth but just before the door closed, I could hear the President's voice shouting. He was angry. He said 'How could you do this to…' and then someone was hit. I think it was him because he suddenly stopped saying anything. The guards were busy and I ducked out of their sight in time so they never saw me. I got out of there as fast as I could."

Cally remarked, "So either the guards were fakes or they were part of this coup against the President?"

Dannon said urgently, "Yes! I didn't know what to do or who I could trust. Who knows how many people are involved. The only ones I _knew_ I could trust were all of you."

Argus kept his eyes on Dannon but tilted his head and asked, "Cally, what do you think?"

Cally had been listening with all of her available senses while Dannon was talking. She said, "I have no impression of deception. He appears to believe what he's saying. Beyond that, I'm not getting any specific details."

Argus said to Dannon, "Alright, say that we believe you for now. How many guards did you see?"

Dannon looked nervously at Cally, "She can read my mind?"

Cally reassured him, "I cannot 'read' human minds. I can only get sense impressions."

Argus said, "If Cally could read minds, we wouldn't have to ask you anything. We'd already know."

Dannon was still looking guardedly at Cally as he said, "I guess not. It just feels…what kind of impressions?"

Vila sympathized with Dannon's nervousness. He had the same feelings when he first learned that Cally had psi abilities. It hadn't seem natural to have someone who could know how he was feeling, even if she couldn't read his mind; and it took him a long time to be convinced that she couldn't.

Argus said, "Well, don't worry about it for now; unless you have something to hide, we need to save your President. How many guards did you see?"

**********

On the fifth floor, Argus checked out the situation in front of the President's observation booth. He took a quick peek around the corridor and then he went back to where Cally, Vila and Dannon were waiting. Cally was holding her gun at the ready.

Argus noted that Vila still held his nervously in front of him in both hands, even though Reya had said that his aim had improved considerably. Vila must be one of those that would never feel comfortable with killing anyone face-to-face. He hoped that one day, Vila could be able to go back to a much less violent life; he hoped that all of his people could. For now, Argus appreciated that Vila chose to stand with them, even in this.

Argus was sick of the violence and killing too even though it had been his profession for most of his life. He was resigned to the fact that he would probably never be able to get away from it. There was too much blood on his hands for him to escape, but he hoped he would be able to do something to help the others to be free from it.

He told them, "There are two guards at the door. The rest must be inside. There's no telling how many are in with the President."

Vila asked, "What do we do?"

Argus handed Dannon's gun back to him and then he said, "We need more help." He pressed the comm button on his teleport bracelet. "Lt. Dain. Have you secured your location?"

Dain's voice responded, "Yes, sir. All of the prisoners have been secured but the device was destroyed in the fight."

Argus said, "Damn. I was hoping we would be able to use it."

Dain's voice asked, "Sir?"

Argus replied, "A situation has developed. We seem to be caught up in the middle of a coup. Leave one man to watch the prisoners and I want the rest of you to teleport over here."

Dain acknowledged the command.

Argus contacted Avon. "Avon, stay put where you are and don't let anyone in. We seem to be caught in the middle of a coup."

Avon's voice responded, "Don't we have enough to do already?"

"We're caught up in it whether we like it or not. We won't be able to do anything with our primary mission if civil war breaks out."

There was a pause and then Avon's voice said, "Or perhaps this _is_ part of our primary mission."

Argus asked, "You mean the aliens might have something to do with this coup?"

Avon's voice came back, "They might already have support here."

Argus said, "And they want that support to take over? That's possible. They did try to do that in the Athol Territories. Alright, we'll keep an eye out. Dain and his men are preparing to transfer over using the teleport. I want you to go up right after that and try to hack into the Chandarans' secured network. See if you can track this coup attempt. I want as much information as you can find. Argus, out."

**********

After Argus told him to wait, Avon looked around the observation booth. There was a computer terminal in the corner that he had noticed when he first came into the room. The sides of Avon's mouth curled into a smile.

**********

From Vila's spying assignment amongst the Chandarans, he was able to give them valuable suggestions in order to come up with a good plan to distract the guards.

Argus asked, "Cally, you're alright with your part?"

There was a determined look on her face. "I'll be ready."

"Vila?"

Vila also had a determined look on his face albeit mixed with anxiety. When he was tense, his speech tended to be fast and rambling. "I'm ready. Did I tell you that I used to do a little acting in school? I used to be quite good. Even got a standing ovation once. Of course I was only playing a chicken. And I was only five. But still…"

"Well, this is your opportunity to move up in the acting ranks," said Argus. "Do it quick. Don't give them time to think about it. Dain and I will be right behind you."

Vila's old instinct to avoid danger of any kind made him want to un-volunteer himself.

_I __**can**__ do this. I have to do this. They're all depending on me, _he tried to convince himself. _They need me. That's why I'm here._ Not all of him was entirely convinced but it was no longer the part of him that he wanted to listen to. Vila just wished that the fear would go away but he doubted if it ever would. He remembered Avon's words about what the Federation tried to do to the Deltas. The thought gave him the resolve he needed. He might be scared, but he refused to be someone else's puppet any longer. _They made me afraid but they're __**not**__ going to make me a coward. _

Argus said "That takes care of the guards in front of the door. The tricky part will be getting into the room. It's a standard hostage scenario with only single access entry. Our only advantage is surprise. There's no subtlety involved. We have to get in there quickly and secure the President before they can kill him. Dain, are the men ready?"

Lt. Dain and the soldiers were all poised and eager for action. "Yes, sir. They know what to do."

Vila was beginning to think that these soldiers needed a bit more variety and colour in their vocabulary.

Avon's voice came over Argus's teleport bracelet. "Argus."

Argus responded, "What is it, Avon? Make it fast. We're about to go in."

"Have you thought of a way to enter the President's observation booth?"

Argus said, "We're going to rush in and take them out as fast as we can. Standard hostage scenario."

Avon's voice didn't sound too impressed, "That's what I thought. These kinds of scenarios have a high risk factor."

"Yes. That's why it has to be quick. Avon, can you hurry this up? You obviously have something in mind."

Those who knew Avon could almost imagine the grin on his face.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

**********

Vila had Cally's arm twisted around behind her and was manhandling her down the hallway where the men were guarding the Presidential observation booth. She was unarmed and was struggling, trying to kick back at him. One of her kicks landed on his shin.

"Ow! Stop it woman. You're going to pay for that!" He twisted her arm further up, causing her to grimace in pain.

Cally had a look of mad hatred on her face as Vila continued to push her forwards. "I'm going to kill you all!"

"Not if we kill all of you first!" Vila and Cally were near the booth now. The guards looked suspiciously at the struggling pair. Vila addressed them, "Isn't that right? No woman can win over a man. We're in control."

One of the guards said with a sneer, "Yeah. That's right. They have to be shown whose boss." The guards were still eyeing Cally and Vila very suspiciously. The other one asked, "Who is this? What are you doing with her? What are _you_ doing _here_?"

Cally tried to kick Vila again. He avoided her foot and cuffed her in the head. She made a sound like a wild angry growl.

Vila answered, "Didn't you know? There's more than one of them. It's not just that one down there. She and her tamed men are trying to take over."

The two guards looked at each other.

Cally said fiercely, "Yes! We're going to control all of you!"

The guards did not like this at all. They were starting to get angry and moved towards her.

Vila said, "Oh no you don't." He slapped her across the back of the head again. Suddenly Cally stamped hard on Vila's instep, broke free from his grasp and ran down the hallway.

Vila said urgently, "We can't let her get away! Come on!" He began running after her without looking back. The two guards glanced at each other and raced after him and the runaway woman.

They were halfway down the corridor when all of a sudden both guards fell to the ground, unconscious. Argus and Dain had snuck up behind them in the confusion and urgency of chasing after a phantom menace and knocked them out.

Vila and Cally came back while two of the soldiers tied up the guards and dragged them out of the way.

Argus said, "Nicely done you two." He went over to Dain, who was listening at the observation room door.

Dain shook his head. "Can't hear anything in there. It must be sound proof."

"That's good; it means they didn't hear us either."

Vila was rubbing his bruised shin as he hobbled over to them.

Cally said, "Sorry about that, I was trying to make it convincing."

Vila mumbled in consternation, "All of a sudden everyone's an actor."

Argus said, "Vila, are you alright? I need you on the door lock."

Vila hobbled over to the door and said, "Yeah, I don't _need_ my _legs_ for that."

Cally said, "I didn't kick you that hard."

Vila opened up his satchel and took a tool out. "Tell that to my shin. I think I've got a proper bruise there now." He began working on the lock.

Cally said, "You _were_ good. I almost believed you."

Vila paused in what he was doing and asked, "Did I hurt _you_?"

"No. Just a minor concussion." At the look of shock on Vila's face, Cally said with a grin, "I'm kidding. You didn't hurt me at all."

Vila turned back to opening the lock again, "Well, that's a relief. I would have felt terrible if I had. Sometimes, when I get into a performance…"

Cally asked, "Of a chicken?"

Vila grinned, "All of a sudden, everyone's a critic."

They all heard a slight click. Vila said to Argus. "See? It took no time at all even with a bum leg."

"That's good. Alright everyone. Get ready. The timing's crucial." Everyone put on their vision goggles and activated them and positioned themselves.

Argus tapped his teleport bracelet. "Avon, we're in position."

Avon's voice reported, "I'm ready here."

Argus ordered, "Cut the hall lights."

They were plunged into darkness but with the night vision goggles, they could all see each other clearly.

Argus said, "Good. On my mark, Vila and Avon. Three. Two. One. Mark." At the signal, Vila passed his hand over the door control just as Avon deactivated the lights inside the observation booth.

Argus, Cally and the soldiers rushed in while Vila and Dannon stayed by the door to make sure no one escaped. There was bedlam as the people in the room shouted in confusion and for the lights to be turned back on. By the time they realized that they were no longer alone, only one of them was able to get a shot off into the darkness. There were sounds of struggling and people being hit. Argus, Cally and the soldiers quickly and methodically disarmed and disabled the enemy.

It was all over in less than a minute.

Argus's voice was heard, "Avon, turn the lights back on."

The room was illuminated again. Argus and those who had the vision goggles on had no problems readjusting to the brightness. The goggles took care of it. The people in the room had no such aids and were temporarily blinded.

There were ten other men in the room plus the battered President Brent; and several bodies off to the side. The would-be rebels were now all subdued, disarmed and being herded into a corner of the room and watched carefully by the soldiers. There were angry and confused looks being directed at Argus and his crew.

Brent looked like he had been beaten up. His face was swollen and he held his arm protectively over his chest. He said gratefully,"Thank you, Argus! All of you."

Cally went over to tend to his injuries but he shook her off and said, "I'll be fine. Can you see to my security officer, I think he's still alive." He pointed to what had looked like bodies laid out in the corner.

As Cally went to tend to Thenard, Argus asked, "What's going on here?"

Brent winced at the pain from his ribs. "I was about to stop Gravis from trying to kill your security officer but _they_ stopped me instead." He indicated the sullen looking men in the corner. "They killed my guards and shot Thenard when he tried to protect me."

One of them stepped forward and said with a sneer, "You're all over, Brent! This doesn't change anything. We have men everywhere. They should have the main Government complex by now."

Argus, Cally and Vila turned with surprised recognition to the speaker. They all knew this voice. It was the announcer. He was a large, burly man with thinning hair and a grey-flecked beard.

**********

After Avon turned the lights back on in the President's observation booth, he began using the computer to see if he could access the Chandaran secured networks. It would be easier here than on the ship and it would save time. He heard the door slide open behind him and turned to see who it was. The door was supposed to be locked.

A squad of men rushed in with rifles pointed in all directions. For a moment they looked surprised to see the almost empty room. They recovered quickly and two of them rushed over to Avon as he brought his teleport bracelet up. They knocked him over the head and ripped the bracelet from his wrist.

Chapter Fourteen

While the others were caught up in the coup, Reya was still fighting, though by now, fighting was not really the word she would have used anymore. She was making a fool of her opponent. Gravis looked as if he had gone fifteen rounds with an assault vehicle and lost every one. He could barely stand.

Until Gravis had tried to kill Reya, she had mainly kept her damage minimal. His only danger had been from repeated falling. Once he got her angry though, she began to rain precision strikes on select parts of his body. She could not match him in strength but there were some points in the body that were vulnerable no matter how much muscle and strength you had.

Whenever Gravis lifted his arms to try to hit her, they were in severe pain. She kept hitting certain points on his shoulders and elbows. His legs felt as stiff as metal and he had lost the rushing quickness that he used to intimidate opponents and put them off-balance and on the defensive.

Gravis was the kind of man whose stubbornness matched his pride and not his intelligence, and that meant that he was still trying to go on despite making a fool of himself. His face was livid with hatred as he tried to rush forward again. It was quite comical since his speed had slowed considerably and Reya barely needed to move in order to get out of his way.

Reya side-swiped him and rapped him on the back of the neck again as he stumbled past her without hitting his intended target. Gravis finally fell to his knees. Reya came up behind him and placed him in the same head-lock that he had nearly killed her with before. Reya said with a voice that could freeze water in the heat of summer, "Shall I give you the same treatment you tried to give me earlier?"

Gravis gasped, he could barely breathe, never mind speak. Reya released her grip a bit to allow him to talk. It really was a waste of time though, all he said was, "Don't think you've won, woman!" He spit out her gender like a disease. "Go ahead and kill me! We will win in the end, not you!"

This man and most of his planet made Reya ill. "If I were like you, you would be dead now." She unexpectedly let go of him and stepped back. "You're lucky I'm not."

Gravis got up and said with derision, "Just like a woman. You can't even kill. You're a coward."

Reya was very tired of the blindly macho attitude that substituted for values here. "It doesn't take courage to kill. Any _fool_ can do _that_."

"_You're_ the fool," said Gravis as he tried to rush her again. He still had one more trick. This time as Reya turned to side-swipe him, he made an unexpected move and turned on his heels in order to strike her from the side. Unfortunately for him, Reya was more than able to block this move and rapped him on the side of the head for his troubles. Gravis fell to the ground and Reya came up behind him and put him in a head-lock again.

Using the same tone of derision he had employed on her, Reya said, "Don't make the mistake of thinking that just because I don't kill you, that I'm weak or that I can't. I _chose_ not to kill you for my own reasons. I will _not_ kill without a purpose. Leaving you alive, serves _my_ purpose. Do you concede this match?"

Gravis shouted loudly for the vid cameras, "Never! No woman will win against me!"

"You're wrong. You've already lost. You're just too blind to see it." Reya shook her head at the futility of talking to this man. She let go of him and stepped back, looking up towards the vid cameras and the observation booths.

The message had been delivered. There was no doubt that she could kill Gravis anytime she wanted to but had chosen not to. She had made that very clear tonight.

Gravis got up slowly and painfully while Reya watched him. It was time to end this. She quickly came up behind him, clasped both hands together and struck down hard at the base of his neck. Gravis went down and stopped moving. He was unconscious.

There was stunned silence from the audience, as if they didn't know how to react, or didn't want to wake up from a nightmare that none of them wanted to believe was real.

Reya looked down gravely at her fallen opponent. She wondered how many of the men in this society were like Gravis. If they were all like him, there was little hope for the women on this planet unless there was a revolution of some kind. She doubted that the women were in any position to make their voices heard here without being slapped back down.

She looked up at the vid cameras again. The match should be over now. The challenger lay defeated at her feet, but all there was, was a funereal silence, as if all the audio speakers had suffered a malfunction at the same time or everyone was stricken dumb.

Reya wondered if Argus and the others were coming down to meet her. She was tired. The match had taken a lot out of her. She was bruised and sore all over, her right shoulder was stiff and in pain and she was sporting a slight limp. It was going to take several days for her to fully recover. She needed a nice hot shower.

Reya wondered how long would it take for them to declare the match ended. Gravis was not about to wake up any time soon.

**********

In President Brent's observation booth, Cally had finished checking Thenard, and came over to report to Brent and Argus who were discussing the situation.

There was concern on Brent's face as he asked immediately, "How is he?" He looked tired and his face was swollen. His arm was still hovering protectively across his ribs.

"He's not good. He took two shots to the back and he's losing a lot of blood. I've been able to stabilize him and stop the worst of the bleeding but you'll have to get him to your medical facilities."

Brent said worriedly, "Unfortunately, we can't. I don't know what the situation is out there. I don't know who is still loyal to me. Poul, that's the announcer, was smart to get me here. I only came with Thenard and a small contingent of guards."

Argus said, "We can take him back to our ship. We have medical facilities there. As for your government…"

"I don't expect you to help me. You've done enough already." Brent tried to get up but a groan escaped from his lips instead and he fell back.

Cally said, "Here let me take a look at that." She gently removed his arm and waved a scanner wand over the injured area. "You've got two fractured ribs and some bruising."

Argus said, "You're not going anywhere like that. Not on your own and without any support."

Brent looked up at him hopefully, "Are you offering _your_ support?"

"Let's call it help for someone who needs it."

Brent asked with wry humour, "Help that's just shy of _support_?"

"Something like that."

Brent chuckled and grimaced at the same time. "Fair enough."

Vila had been watching the fight chamber while intermittently paying attention to what Brent and Argus were saying. He felt that _someone_ should keep an eye on Reya since everyone seemed to be busy. "Argus?"

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't the fight be finished now?"

Argus came over and saw Reya standing next to the still body of Gravis. She was looking up at the vid cameras and the observation booths, waiting for what came next. In the urgency of the coup, he had almost forgotten about the match.

Argus asked "What's happening?"

"She knocked him out. I don't think he's going to get up for awhile. She was _magnificent_."

Despite the chaos of the situation, a quiet joy and pride came over Argus as he watched Reya standing over the still figure of the man who had tried to kill her. "She's wonderful."

Brent came over, supported by Cally. "They're waiting for the announcer to pronounce the winner."

They all turned to the sullen and silently fuming men who were now standing in the far corner; bound and watched by the soldiers. Poul and his men didn't seem very cooperative from the looks of extreme dislike being directed towards them.

Cally said, "I don't think that's a good idea."

Brent agreed, "You're right. I think I can guess what he'll say and I doubt it would be anything we'd want to hear."

Argus suggested, "Then you'll have to do it. You're President. It'll mean more coming from you."

There was conflict on Brent's face. "I…"

Cally was very aware of this man's feelings. They seethed below the surface, strong emotions that he hid behind a sardonic humour. "That's what he's afraid of."

Brent's head turned towards her in surprise. "I can see that I will have to be very careful around both of your women, Argus."

Argus said, "They have names."

"Of course. Your medical officer is right. If I make this announcement, it may very well be my last act as President. No matter what else I do."

"Is that the only thing that matters to you? Retaining your power?" asked Argus.

Brent said, "You don't understand, Argus. If you knew my situation, you would know that I don't have any choice."

"You always have a choice," said Argus.

"In an ideal world perhaps. As you may have noticed, this is far from an ideal society. It is one I am trying to change. In order to do that, I have to be President."

Argus challenged, "Change into what?"

Brent said, "I am tempted to say, help me and find out, but I doubt if you would appreciate the humour. Let's get this over with." He moved towards the control desk that the announcer used to broadcast from and switched on the audio pick-up. "This is President Brent. It is my duty to announce the winner of this contest as announcer Poul is currently occupied with _other_ matters."

At the other end of the room, Poul reacted angrily and tried to shout his denial but one of the soldiers had him restrained and put his hand over his mouth.

Brent continued, "I know that none of us expected this result and most people do not want it. It strikes at the very heart of our society. We are a strong and proud people. I would like to believe that we are big enough to respect a display of courage and ability, regardless of what we think of the person who is displaying it. It is my responsibility to confirm the champion of this hand-to-hand contest, Reya Reeve of the _Justice_. She has not only won this contest but the three-round challenge, in a very convincing manner and against incredible odds and obstacles. I present to you, the Champion of the Chandar Alliance, Reya Reeve." Brent cut the connection and immediately turned to Argus. He said urgently, "I recommend that you get your people down there right now."

Argus was alarmed by Brent's tone. He asked suspiciously, "Why? What did you just do?"

Brent said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I don't know what possessed me." He looked very concerned.

Argus's voice was controlled as he asked again, "_What did you do_?"

"Champion of the Chandar Alliance is a formal title. It is not meant to be given to a woman. This is going to cause trouble."

Argus said angrily, "Are you trying to get her killed?" He pointed to Dain and four of the soldiers. "You're with me. The rest get back up to the ship. Take care of the injured. Keep the prisoners locked up in one of the secure cargo holds and put two guards on them."

Cally asked, "And the President?"

Argus said, "Take him with you." He pressed on his teleport bracelet. "Sergeant, get a fix on the fight chamber. I want to be teleported inside the chamber."

After a few moments, the sergeant's voice reported, "I can't get a lock inside, sir. There appears to be interference coming from the chamber. The teleport system can't get a lock."

Brent said, "It's the shielding. When the chamber is sealed, it is also shielded from outside interference."

Vila said, "But how could that other device get through then? The one they used on the Commander?"

Brent thought about this. "It has to be someone who knows how the shielding works. They were able to get around the interference."

The situation was still urgent. Argus said, "Even if Avon could find a way around it and reconfigure the teleport, it'll take time we don't have." He pressed on the teleport bracelet again. "Sergeant, get us a fix just outside of the chamber. As close as possible."

They all waited.

Argus said impatiently, "Sergeant, quickly."

The sergeant's voice came back, "There are too many people around the chamber. I can't get a clear spot. The closest I can give you is a set of stairs in the next corridor."

Vila remarked, "Those must be the ones we used before. That's not very close."

Argus said, "It'll have to do. Sergeant, five to teleport." Lt. Dain and the soldiers gathered around Argus while the others moved away from them. The team disappeared.

When they were gone, Vila said to those who were left, "You heard the man, let's go. I'll call for some more teleport bracelets."

He was bringing his arm up to do just that when Brent said, "I can't go with you. I have something to do."

Cally said, "Not in that condition."

Brent was insistent. "Then give me something for the pain and a gun. I can manage."

Vila added, "Even if you were fine, going out there will get you killed. You said it yourself, you don't have any help. You don't know who you can trust."

"Argus said he was going to give me help, just short of support."

Vila said, "I don't know. He didn't say what kind of help yet."

Cally looked at Brent. She could sense that there was something else going on. "What aren't you telling us?"

Brent glanced nervously at the sullen men in the corner. He led Cally and Vila to the other end of the room.

In a low voice he said, "I have to get my bond-mate and my daughter out. People might try to kill them."

Vila's voice almost rose with surprise, "Bond-mate? I thought the men in your society didn't bond with your women. They're just property to you."

Brent hesitated as if he was trying to decide what to reveal to these people who were supposed to be strangers. He made his decision and said, "_I did_. Only a select few people know this. People I trusted. There are some of us who are different than the others but we keep it hidden."

Vila said, "Trusted?"

Cally asked, "You're hoping that none of the people you trust are your enemies now?"

"Yes. Will you help me? As you said, I can't save them on my own and if we use your teleport we can get there much faster."

Vila asked, "Cally? What do you think?"

Cally's psi perceptions told her they could trust what Brent was saying. There was also something else but she wasn't sure yet and now was not the time to address the matter. "He doesn't seem false in what he says."

"We should tell Argus first," said Vila.

"Yes. We should also get the injured and the prisoners back to the ship first too."

Argus, who was nearing the fight chamber agreed with the idea to help Brent. "Vila, take some of the soldiers with you and go with Brent."

Vila had never led a party on a mission before. Not by himself. He said, "What about Cally?"

Cally replied, "I have to stay with Thenard. He needs medical attention. You can do it, Vila."

Argus added, "Take one of the sergeants with you. They'll help." Argus was used to developing young lieutenants who did not have much confidence in themselves. Sergeants usually provided the necessary stability and experience they lacked.

Vila said nervously, "Alright, I'll do it."

**********

Avon lay bound and unconscious on the floor of the observation booth. One of his captors tried to kick him awake but to no avail.

The one kicking him said, "He's not getting up. I didn't think I hit him _that_ hard."

Grenthel, the leader of this group said, "Well try harder. We need him to tell us where the others are. Use some water if you have to."

The kicker picked up a pitcher of water and was about to pour it on Avon's head when they heard President Brent's voice over the speakers. They all stopped what they were doing.

The kicker said in shock, "I thought Poul's group got to him. What's he doing announcing anything?"

Grenthel said, "Something must have gone wrong."

There was stunned silence from this group as they listened to President Brent pronounce Reya as the Champion of the Chandar Alliance.

The kicker said, "We were right. He's a bonder. We have to get rid of him. Is the takeover in danger?"

"I don't know. We have to find out." Grenthel pointed to Avon. "Bring him and leave that thing here." He was referring to the teleport bracelet. "They might be able to track him using that. It may not just be a comm device."

**********

Reya stepped out of the fight chamber and was immediately surrounded by angry men with guns pointed at her. She put her hands up slowly. "Is this the way they treat winners here?"

She had given her teleport bracelet to Argus before she was put through the scanners. But even if she still had it, she doubted if these men would give her an opportunity to use it.

"You're lucky we don't shoot you first," one of them snarled.

She said cynically, "I'm surprised you haven't. That is what you're good at after all, shooting first and keeping your lack of knowledge intact."

"Shut up, woman!"

She smiled sarcastically, "How many of you _does_ it require to beat a single, _unarmed_ woman?"

Another one demanded, "You're going back in there and you're going to lose to Gravis."

Reya gave them a cold and cynical look. "The likelihood of me doing that willingly is even less probable than Gravis waking up in the next hour."

A brown-haired man lifted the butt of his rifle and prepared to hit her. Another man stopped him. "No. Not here. She's right about Gravis. Tie her up and bring her with us."

They grabbed Reya, twisted her arms roughly behind her and tied her hands together. By the time Argus and the soldiers arrived, her captors had already whisked her out of the building.

Chapter Fifteen

Argus was almost growling with frustration and anger by the time he and the soldiers returned to the ship without Reya. No one would admit to seeing Reya leaving the fight chamber. No one saw the people who had taken her. They were obviously lying. Someone had to have seen something. It was a public area.

His fists were clenched when he came off the teleport pad. Argus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He could not afford to let his emotions get out of control, no matter how much he wanted them to. Reya needed him to think clearly and get them all out of this mess.

Argus went to the ship's internal comm panel. "Zen, locate Sester."

Zen's voice responded, "Sester is currently located in his assigned guest cabin."

Argus directed one of the soldiers who had come back with him, "Go and get Sester. Bring him to the medical unit."

The soldier acknowledged and went off on his task.

**********

Argus went to the medical unit. Cally was checking on some readings when she saw him enter. She asked, "Did you find her?"

Argus snapped at her, "Does it look like it?" He pushed down his frustration again. "I'm sorry. No one admits to seeing anything. No one saw her leave."

"They're obviously lying."

Argus took a deep breath again to calm himself. "We're not going to have much help in finding her." Argus looked down at Thenard, "How is he?"

"He'll be fine. I was able to repair the injuries."

"Has Vila reported in?"

"Not yet, they just went down a little while ago."

Argus asked, "Has Avon found any useful information about the coup?"

"I haven't talked to him yet. I'm not sensing anything from him, he must be busy."

"Alright, I'll go and talk to him. He must be in his lab." He headed towards the exit and then paused, "Oh, by the way, Sester is on his way here to see me. Tell him to come to Avon's lab."

**********

Argus arrived at Avon's empty lab. He was mystified. Nothing in the lab indicated that Avon had been here recently.

He went to the comm panel. "Zen, locate Avon."

Zen's responded in its normal tired sounding but patient voice, "Kerr Avon is not currently on the ship."

Argus asked with shock, "What? Where is he?"

"That is undetermined."

Argus was beginning to feel a headache coming on. This was starting to compete with one of the worst days of his life. "How can he not…wait a minute…Zen, has Avon come back to the ship yet?"

"Negative. He has not returned by teleport."

Argus cursed under his breath. He used the comm panel to contact Avon's teleport bracelet, "Avon. Where are you? Are you still in the observation booth?"

There was no answer.

"Avon! There's danger. They've got Reya. You have to come back to the ship."

There was still no answer.

Sester entered the lab and saw Argus's agitation. He asked immediately, "What's going on?"

Argus waved him to wait. "Zen, are you still able to pick up the signal from Avon's teleport bracelet?"

"Affirmative. The signal is registering within normal operational parameters."

Sester listened with interest.

"Where is it coming from?"

Zen responded, "It is currently broadcasting from the observation booth."

"He must be in trouble." Argus raced to the teleport room and Sester decided to follow him. Argus hoped it was a simple case of Avon having another one of his collapses. He wished he had left someone with him.

Sester asked, "I take it Avon is missing?"

"I don't know yet!"

Argus rushed to the teleport controls and set the coordinates for pick-up. He activated the switches and directed hopeful eyes on the teleport pad.

No Avon appeared. Argus tried it again but there was still nothing. He went quickly to the comm panel, "Lt. Dain, get a team of four together and report to the teleport room immediately. I also need someone on the teleport."

Dain acknowledged.

Argus contacted Cally in the medical unit. "Cally, Avon is missing. He never came back to the ship. I'm going down to see if I can find him. Can you try to contact him with your psi abilities?"

Cally's voice sounded concerned, "I will try."

Her response, when it came back was full of concern now. "Argus, I can't reach Avon's mind. I only have an awareness of his presence. He must be unconscious. He does not appear to be in a nightmare or I would be able to sense something."

"Alright, Cally. I'm going to head down with a team. Keep trying to contact Avon."

Sester was leaning to the side of the teleport control. He asked, "Now will you tell me what's going on and why I was summoned?"

Argus stared at his nemesis for a moment, his face hard with tension. "They've taken Reya."

Sester was in shock. "Who took her?"

"The Chandarans. It was after she won the fight." Argus's fist hit the edge of the control console in anger and disgust at himself. "It's my fault. I should've realized what they were going to do. I knew they wouldn't like her winning. I should have anticipated their actions. It was all my fault. I should have been with her. I should have thought of everything." The guilt ate at him like a cancer.

"What happened?"

The tone of accusation in Sester's voice made Argus react negatively, but it was overridden by the guilt. "I have no excuse."

"Something must have happened. _What was it_?" Sester repeated the question again like a rushing tide that could not be ignored.

When Argus didn't reply, Sester said, "I _know_ you, Argus. Something urgent must have taken your attention away."

"You don't know me at all!"

"I know that you would never have left her alone without a reason. _What was it_?"

Argus was loath to say. He didn't want to give himself an excuse.

Sester said, "You obviously sent for me, for a reason. You need my services and those services require that you tell me what the full situation is, or my help will be very limited."

Argus said reluctantly, "During the contest, there was a coup attempt and we were caught up in it. They captured the Chandaran President."

"You went to rescue him?" It was a rhetorical question, Sester already knew the answer.

"Yes." Argus didn't know how everything could have gone so wrong when it had appeared to go so right.

"And Avon?"

"I left him in the observation booth. I told him to come back up when the teleport was free."

"And he didn't?"

"I should have left someone with him. I should never have left Reya alone. I should have…"

"You can't blame yourself for everything, Argus. You can't anticipate everything that will happen."

Sester's attempt at sympathy left a bitter taste in Argus's mouth. His enemy knew that he had failed the person they both loved. His voice was like a low warning growl, "Stay out of my business, Sester. That's not why you're here."

Sester said with acerbic dryness, "You haven't told me what my business is yet. I have repeatedly told you to use me and you refuse to. This is the kind of situation that I'm very useful in. Psychostrategists specialize in human dynamics. I would have seen the possibility of this happening. In that way, it _is_ your fault. Your stubbornness and your unfounded jealousy have blinded you. You had resources at your disposal to prevent this from happening and you _didn't use me_."

Argus was angry at Sester for saying these things. He wanted to shout at him to get out; but he couldn't. Sester was right. It really was all his fault and he needed Sester's help to get out of this mess.

Argus grimaced and swallowed his pride. "You're right. I need your help. Avon…and Reya need your help." The sourness of his own failure churned in his stomach.

Sester could see the turmoil and anguish on Argus's face. The admission that he needed his enemy in order to help Reya was a galling one. Sester said, "I haven't won. This is not about winning. If we lose Reya or Avon, then we both lose. We have to get them both back."

Argus inclined his head in a bare acknowledgement.

Sester asked, "Can you set aside your animosity towards me until we get them back?"

"You're here, aren't you?" Argus said curtly.

"That's not enough."

"That's all you're going to get."

Sester said, "Alright. You realize that Avon may have been captured and that we might be going down into a trap?"

Argus asked, "Why do you think I'm going down with a team?"

"I'd like to go down with you, if you don't mind."

"Just stay out of the way until we clear things."

Sester said pleasantly, "You won't even know I'm there."

Argus said, "I will."

There was a look of amusement on Sester's face, not shared by his rival.

Lt. Dain and the team arrived armed and ready. Argus told them the situation. "Be careful, they might be expecting us."

The observation booth only seemed to contain Avon's teleport signal, there were no other life signs in the room. They all drew their weapons as they stood on the teleport pad. Sester joined them.

Argus said, "Send us down."

**********

Argus hated it when Sester was right.

The team teleported a short distance down the corridor from the observation booth. When there appeared to be no signs of opposition, they advanced.

Unfortunately, the trap was not inside the room.

Suddenly, from both ends of the corridor, groups of heavily armed Chandarans rushed them with rifles firing. Chaos immediately broke out as both groups targeted at each other. Men on both sides were hit and went down.

Sester was frozen in shock as he watched a Chandaran point his rifle towards him. He felt odd, as if everything was moving in slow motion except for him. Sester was feeling a mixture of amusement and horror at his own impending death, or at least injury. He couldn't seem to move. The idea that someone might come to his aid didn't enter his mind. Why would someone help him? There was no reason for them to. In fact most of them would probably welcome an unavoidable casualty that none of them wanted on the ship anyway.

Argus saw the danger. He immediately ran and tackled Sester so that they both fell to the ground. The Chandaran's shot hit Argus in the side. Argus swore and made a quick snap shot before the Chandaran fired off a second one. The Chandaran hit the ground and lay still.

The short, intense fire-fight was over. Two Chandarans lay dead, the rest were in various stages of injury. There were sounds of moaning. Several of the Athol soldiers were also wounded.

Argus got up and looked down at Sester, "What the hell were you thinking just standing there?"

Sester shook himself as his paralysis passed. He looked up at the man who had saved his life. "You're hurt."

Argus had a snarl on his lips. "No thanks to you." He looked over the scene and directed the soldiers to gather their wounded and return to the ship.

Sester couldn't think clearly. Nothing seemed to make sense. Argus confused him most of all. "I'm sorry. I don't know what happened." Sester brought his hands up, they were visibly shaking. An odd smile appeared on his face. "Imagine that."

Argus looked at him strangely. He said, "You're in shock. We'll get you back to the ship."

**********

Avon's head hurt. His concentration was fragmented as consciousness returned. A groan nearly escaped his lips but he suppressed it. The almost automatic reaction came from painful experience. If they thought he was still unconscious, no one would hurt him. Most of the time.

His mind was drowning in confusion as it tried to sort out where he was. Reality was a tenuous thing for a man whose mind had become a game for someone else to play with. All he could do was hang onto the points of recognition.

Pain. Ever present pain. Splitting his head. Every time he tried to think, there was more pain. Don't think. Let the thoughts come.

Sharp pains in his side. More broken ribs. Predictable brutality from unimaginative thugs.

The feel of metal biting into his wrists. Cold, cruel bands that he felt, even when he wasn't wearing them. These ones felt different. _Why? _Did it matter?

Cold, hard floor.

Avon hazarded opening his eyes a sliver.

Darkness. This triggered an involuntary fear.

Avon never used to be afraid of something like the absence of light. The Detention Centre changed that.

Out of the shadows, the nightmares came. In the darkness, Sester twisted his mind.

_No! _He did not want them to win. He couldn't let them win. His mind was his own. Pain fragmented Avon's mind as he tried to think. He stopped pushing and allowed the thoughts to come to him again.

Avon was tired. He couldn't stop fighting, but he was tired. Tired of living. Tired of being a plaything for other people.

_* Avon! * _

Shock. _**Avonremembered**_**.**

Cally's mind was reaching for him. He was no longer a prisoner at the Detention Centre. That nightmare was finally over. Relief filled him and joy that felt alien, because his life had never been one to know such things.

At least, not that he remembered. Now why did he have that thought? It wasn't time for such thoughts. They could wait.

Nothing else mattered now except the thread of Cally's presence reaching out to him. He still didn't know where he was or what was happening but he was no longer alone.

He had Cally. It was a fact. A comforting, immutable fact. Something that made sense and didn't make sense at the same time.

*_ Avon! Where are you? Are you alright? _*

She was aware of him, but she didn't know where he was.

Avon gathered his pained and fractured mind and tried to send his thoughts out. He knew it was not like the projection that Cally was capable of but he hoped that with their closeness, it would be enough.

Concentrate.

* _Cally._ * Avon's mind seemed to burst into pain again. The concentrate required for their communication caused agony. His thoughts fragmented. Memories bubbled to the surface. Vila. Argus. And the Commander. For some reason, Cally's presence drew up the things that did not fill him with fear.

There was a stab of pain in his head as Avon remembered something else. The Commander fighting. In a large empty room.

The recent past finally caught up to him. Avon groaned involuntarily as the memory of the impact of a laser rifle hit his head. Memories always made themselves real in his mind.

A weak voice said, "Avon?"

Avon could barely hear the sound, but he knew who it was. He opened his eyes. As they adjusted, he realized that it was not completely dark, there was a dim light emanating from the ceiling.

Avon's own voice sounded weak as he said, "Commander?"

Reya's voice was almost a whisper but the relief in it was clear, "Yes, Avon." There was a brief pause. She asked, "Are you alright?"

Avon recognized a person in severe pain but who was trying not to show it.

He had a flash of memory of himself, jaws tight with pain but refusing to acknowledge the hurt as he spoke. Avon said, "The question should be, are you alright?"

There were sounds of chains rattling and a suppressed groan. "I've been better."

Avon slowly rolled his body, grimacing from the agony in his ribs and his head. Just that little movement seemed to exhaust him. He paused to catch his breath. With the dim lighting, he could make out a shape. Reya was chained to one of the walls. She hung limp but her head was raised to look in his direction.

He said, "They've hurt you."

Reya spoke like a person who was struggling to breathe. "They've…tried to but they don't think they've…succeeded yet." She tried to laugh but only managed a choking groan and gasping combination. Avon grimaced as Reya's pain echoed with his own body's remembrance of past agonies.

There was pain in his head again as he tried to respond to her. Avon said, "Laughing is not advisable."

Reya gave another laugh expressed as pain. The sounds subsided and there was silence again. Avon asked, "Commander?"

The use of her title almost made Reya laugh again but she was able to suppress it this time. She said in a faint gasping voice, "Avon, I've always…meant…to say this, you… don't have… to call me Commander. It's…my rank. Not…who I am."

Avon wasn't quite sure why he still called her that. Or indeed why he _started_ calling her that. "Very well…Reya."

Reya's voice was becoming more faint as she said, "I can't talk. Need rest. But if you could keep talking…tell me how they got you."

Avon understood her request. Too many sense memories were being re-awakened by what was happening to Reya. It was not just his own that were triggering it. Avon tried to think through the pain in his head, tried to fight for concentration.

She needed to hear his voice but there was no telling who was listening to them. Avon fought for each word, each thought as he tried to keep her conscious. "We…were in the observation booth…watching the contest. You gave…an impressive…performance."

There was no reaction from Reya. Her head hung down and there were only sounds of laboured breathing. Avon wondered if she was still conscious.

"Commander?"

Reya's barely audible voice said from the gloom, "I thought…you weren't going...to call me that."

"Reya."

"Why do you…sound…like that? Is…something wrong?"

He told her, "Nothing…of importance."

"I…you should stop…tell me later."

Avon ignored her request and stubbornly went on. "We saw Gravis…trying to kill you. Argus rushed down…to help."

Reya said, "Playing…hero…"

Sometimes, Avon had a way of saying things so flatly that it made you wonder what he really meant. "Don't think too…badly of him."

Reya almost laughed again. "Can't tell if…you're being serious."

"Good."

This time Reya's laughter was a weak coughing sound. "Continue."

Avon hesitated and then he said, "He wasn't playing hero."

"I know." Those two words held a wealth of meaning that Avon did not want to explore. He was not the kind of person to deal in sentiment. Even with Cally it was difficult.

Avon said, "The device they were using on you…was neutralized."

"It _was_ a device then? I thought…it might be."

"Yes. It was. We managed to disable it. I'm not certain…what happened next…but Argus reported…that he was caught up in something…and couldn't come back to the observation booth. I had something to do…and didn't go back up to the ship. The Chandarans came in. One of them…hit me over the head. That was the last thing…I remember until I woke up here. I haven't been able to contact Cally."

Reya had fallen silent again.

"Commander?"

There was no response, only an increasingly weak and laboured breathing.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Sixteen

Vila, the Chandaran President and the team of Athol soldiers arrived inside Brent's palatial residence.

Vila whistled as he saw the size of the place. It wasn't pretty but it was enormous. He had never been inside Residence One on Earth, but he imagined that they might be comparable. "This is huge."

Brent's residence staff were shocked at their sudden appearance but were quickly appraised of the situation. President Brent went off to the side to use a comm panel. Vila could vaguely hear him talking to someone he called Marlena. When Brent was finished, he came back to talk to his staff. "This is Vila. He and his men are here to help."

Vila said, "Well, they're not exactly _my_ men but we are here to help."

Brent's personal assistant Trey, was a thinly-bearded and bony man. The head keeper of the residence was a reserved man named Peters, with a high-collared shirt.

President Brent spoke to his gathered staff, "I'm sure that all of you are aware of what happened during the contest."

Trey remarked in a critical voice, "Champion of the Chandar Alliance?"

Brent said with a sigh, "Yes, I know."

At the side, the Athol sergeant whispered to Vila, "Sir, do we have time for this?"

Vila had a problem with authority figures. They intimidated him and Brent was the President of his whole planet, not to mention an Alliance of probably several planets. In his experience, such figures didn't like it when their speech-opportunities were interrupted. But the sergeant was right. They weren't just here to get the President and his family out, they had to get them out safely.

Vila wasn't used to this role of a team leader. He had never had to plan anything before other than his own narrow tasks. To think about what other people needed to do or look at the larger picture would require much more thought.

For some reason, Argus and Cally trusted in him enough to do this. Of course, he had told him to bring one of the sergeants along too, but Vila was glad of that. His first foray into leadership would not be done alone.

"Well..." He tried to think. If there was danger from people outside the house then they had to make sure the danger didn't get inside. That was easy enough.

Vila said, "Get some of the soldiers to check the doors. Make sure they're all locked. Have them cover the exits in case anyone tries to get in." The sergeant directed the men to follow Vila's orders. "Wait a minute…these places are always heavy on security. They'll have vid cameras." Now if he could only get Brent to pay attention so they could all get out safely. Vila coughed politely.

Brent didn't seem to hear the attempt at getting his attention, he continued, "During the contest, there was a coup attempt and I was captured."

This set the staff buzzing with surprise and outrage.

Trey asked, "What happened, Mr. President? I assume they were caught."

" Not, exactly. Argus and the people from his ship rescued me from the insurgents. He's sent Vila to help us now."

There was more excited chatter amongst the staff. "Well done!"

Vila coughed loudly this time and was able to make eye contact with Brent. "Can we do this later, Mr. President? I mean, not that I want to interrupt you or anything but… "

Brent said, "You're right, Vila. There are more important priorities."

Vila asked, "Where's your main security room? I mean, the one with the security cameras."

"Peters will show you." He nodded to his head of residence staff. "Tell the security team that I want them to cooperate with Vila and his people."

Vila looked at the sergeant. The sergeant nodded, "Sir."

Peters led the sergeant away.

Vila asked, "Mr. President, I don't want to hurry you but…"

"Yes." Brent addressed his staff again. "I don't have time to explain now but we may all be in danger. The coup has not been put down. We need to get out before the insurgents decide to send people here."

Trey said with understanding, "Marlena and Corinne." He and Brent had been friends for a long time.

Brent said, "Yes, it's out. Some of them know."

Vila almost groaned, this was all interesting but it didn't sound like these people were going to stop talking soon and do something. For his first outing as a team leader, why did it have to be a politician.

"They'll want to make an example of you _and_ them. "

Brent's voice was heavy, "I'm sorry, I've put you all in danger."

There were sounds of consternation and worry from the staff. Trey spoke for the others, "You don't have anything to apologize for, Mr. President."

"I may not be President anymore."

"You _are_, Mr. President, if we have anything to say about it. All of us knew what we were in for when we followed you. We all agreed with you. That's why some of us have also become bonded with our wo...mates."

Brent's eyes widened with shock. "Trey? You? Why didn't you tell me?"

Trey looked embarrassed.

Vila made another effort, "Shouldn't we be going? Before they get here? Whoever they are?"

Trey said, "Vila's right, we don't have time to talk about this now. We should get you and your family to safety. You're the most important ones."

Brent put his hand on Trey's shoulder. "Very well. This is not over. We _will_ be talking about this later."

Trey said with a wry grin, "I don't doubt it, Mr. President."

Brent said, "We should get some people on the exits. The security team will tell us if there's danger."

Vila said, "I've already done that, sir...Mr. President. "

"You're ahead of me, Vila," said Brent appreciatively.

"You were busy…" Vila sounded almost apologetic.

"Thank you." Brent turned to the rest of his staff, "The rest of you should get away before there's real trouble. If you don't stand with me, you should be safe."

The staff looked at each other but no one moved. Trey said, "You should know us better than that, Mr. President. We _will_ stand with you, no matter what happens."

Brent shook his head, "It's no longer a matter of support. Even though it is much appreciated."

A gentle and cultured female voice said, "The President is right, it is no longer just a matter of support."

They all turned to the voice of the woman who had just exited the main lift. It was clear from the looks on the faces of the staff members that they respected this woman.

Vila stared in surprise. From his scouting missions, he had been told that in Chandaran society, women were rarely allowed to see strangers. They were supposed to be timid, subservient creatures who never lifted their eyes to look directly into a man's face.

The cultured-voiced woman and the beautiful young woman who walked beside her were anything but subservient. They walked with grace and self-assurance, their eyes were direct and full of intelligence. The older one had a refinement about her that brought civility to everything she touched. Her hair was black but streaked with grey and her eyes held a calm confidence. Corinne was beautiful, but not in an eye-dazzling way, it flowed from her personality. Her eyes were grey and flashed with quick humour. Vila found himself glancing at her every so often, hoping she would say something so that he could hear her voice too. He noticed that they both had large carry cases in their hands which they handed to the waiting household staff.

Brent introduced them, "This is my bond-mate, Marlena and my daughter, Corinne."

Marlena's cultured voice said, "You are welcome, Vila. I understand that your people rescued my mate and you are here to do the same for us?"

Vila nearly sputtered, "I thought…you can talk?"

Marlena had an amused look on her face at his question. "Yes. I have been known to say many things."

"I mean, I wasn't expecting…well…I don't know what I was expecting really."

Marlena gave him a friendly smile, "You expected us to be more like the other Chandaran women?"

Vila looked embarrassed. "Well, you know. People talk. About all kinds of things. Not always good things. I mean, I don't agree with them. Absolutely not."

Marlena and her mate looked at each other. She said, "Unfortunately, you would be correct in your assumptions in most Chandaran households."

Brent said fiercely, "_But not here_." His hand reached for Marlena's and they stood together.

Marlena's eyes held something that Vila recognized many times on the _Justice_. There was great love and respect between these two.

Marlena said, "I am not a Chandaran. I'm from the Tellar Union."

Brent looked uncomfortable as he said, "Marlena was captured while providing aid to one of our scout ships that had crash landed on a planet. She's a physician."

Marlena said without recrimination, "It was a trap because they knew who we were."

Even though there was no accusation in her voice, Brent grimaced and looked guilty, "Yes. We…"

Trey spoke up, "He's tried to stop the practice."

Brent said with tight anger, "And haven't succeeded. Sometimes I don't know if we ever will and now it's too late. They know about me. Even if I regain power, they will all be against me. As long as they believed that I was still like them, there was a chance I could bring about change."

Marlena told them, "We were hoping that."

Brent looked with pride at his mate, "That's why you wanted to stay, even though I wanted to get you back to your people. You wanted to help _my_ people even after all of the things they did to you. " He turned to Trey, "Do you see now? It's too late for me but not for you and the others. They don't know about you yet. You could still bring about change. Influence others."

Trey said, "Just like you have with us?"

"Yes. Marlena thinks it's possible to do it peacefully. Without bloodshed. I think we should try. We've already lost too many people in wars that have no purpose other than to gratify our own egos."

Vila tried for, what he hoped, was the last time. "Speaking of bloodshed. It's going to be ours if we don't get out of here soon, you realize that."

At that moment, of course, the sergeant's voice came over Vila's teleport bracelet. "Sir, there's a large body of men coming this way. They're all armed."

Chapter Seventeen

_There's a large body of men coming this way. They're all armed._

Vila wished he had not gotten out of his bunk this morning. Whose bright idea was it to make _him_ a team leader on this mission? It's not like he wanted it or even asked for it. It had been flattering that they thought he could do it. But flattery doesn't do much good when people are shooting at you.

In fact, he was sure that leaders were targetted first. Blake had been and so had Avon. They were like tasty morsels and everyone else was just the after dinner mint. Vila preferred not being the main course of any meal. It didn't matter if it was breakfast, lunch, dinner or any illegally obtained snack.

The Alphas were welcome to it. He didn't know if that made them smart or just blindingly unaware of the consequences of their roles. That's why Vila had preferred being a Delta. Even with all the inconveniences, it did have its good points. As long as you kept your head down that was. Though it didn't seem to be an option at the moment.

The sergeant's voice came from his teleport bracelet again, "Sir, there's another group approaching from the back of the building."

Vila suppressed a desire to feel his forehead to see if there was a big sign on it that said, "Magnet for trouble." He was in a battle and there was no neutron blaster in sight. His measly sidearm seemed _very_ _measly_ right now.

Vila knew he was supposed to say something. They were all staring at him, waiting for him to give them some direction but he couldn't think of anything. How could he tell people not to be afraid when that was all he was feeling at the moment?

Fear seemed to freeze his brain and stretch his nerves so tight that he was afraid that they would snap if he moved. He was afraid of sounding like a stuttering fool if he opened his mouth, but he had to _say something_.

"We should..." Vila started to say something and then he stopped. He was hoping that getting a few words out would start an avalanche and the rest would just come but he felt like a time distort engine that had just stalled. Vila knew that if he drew his pistol now, they would all see his hands shake.

The sergeant's voice prodded him, "Sir? The men can hold them off for a short while. I've taken the precaution of directing the President's security staff to help. Would you like to ask the President if he can get his staff to provide assistance?"

Vila looked around him at the President's assorted staff. They were facing death or capture; Vila wasn't sure which was worse in this society. These people were all prepared to fight to the death. He could see it in the way they stood and the grim determination in their eyes.

He needed to be a hero now and he wasn't sure if he was up to it, never mind being a heroic leader. Vila knew that he wasn't anyone else's idea of a hero, he wasn't even his own idea of a hero; all of the stories he had loved as a child drew pictures of strong, brave men whose hands did not shake like a leaf and who were able to give stirring speeches. He was sure their mouths didn't feel as dry as a sand storm on a desert planet.

Vila's eyes rested on Corinne. She still hadn't spoken yet but she was looking at him curiously and expectantly. There was a quiet confidence in her eyes. Vila was sure he was just fooling himself, he was seeing something that he was hoping to see from a beautiful woman. Someone who believed in him, for himself.

It couldn't be. He was just being silly. She didn't even know him, she was probably seeing him like everyone else. He came from the ship where all of the others were brave, and they expected that he was like them too.

Well he wasn't. He was Vila. No matter how much he was scared, how much he didn't want to risk his life, there was something even worse for him, letting other people die. He couldn't do that. He may not be anyone's idea of a hero, but he was going to be himself. He was going to be scared and help people. Maybe in the future they might write about people who did what they had to do and still all the while being scared. Hopefully they might have a special category for people like him and they would call them heroes too.

"Yes!" Vila almost shouted into the bracelet. "I'll do that." He turned to Brent, "Mr. President, do you have weapons here?"

"Yes, there is a limited armoury." President Brent said to his staff, "We don't have a choice now. It looks like we're going to have to make our last stand here. "

Trey said, "Sir, _we_ will hold them off here. You and your family should leave. You have the teleport bracelets."

"I couldn't let you do that. We'll stand together," said Brent.

Vila envied these people who could say and do heroic things without even thinking about them while he had to struggle with his own fears and try not to sound afraid.

Vila didn't relish a battle of any kind. He had problems shooting people close up on the best of days, never mind killing lots of them, even if they were all shooting at him. Hitting targets with the Commander on the firing range was fun but it didn't hurt anyone. Thoughts of Reya filled him with worry but he knew that Argus and the others were handling that end of things. He just had to take care of what he was supposed to do, which was rescue people.

A sudden realization hit him, _no one had to die_. This was not about a battle. That was not why Argus had sent him down here. He _could_ save them all. Why didn't he think of that before? Everyone was so intent on fighting that he had been caught up in it too.

Vila said, "_None_ of us have to do that."

They all turned to him as he explained. "We have the teleport. I can get more bracelets and we can get everyone out."

Gloomy faces hesitantly turned to near hopeful ones at this new information.

Brent asked, "How many can you get out?"

"How many people do you have?" asked Vila. He was starting to feel better about this now that he had put it into perspective. Though he didn't notice it, he was no longer hesitant and his mouth didn't feel dry.

Brent looked to Peters who had a more accurate idea of the household staff. Peters answered, "There's 102, sir including your family."

Vila was not expecting this number. With his team that made 109 altogether. "It's going to be tricky," he told them. He wondered how many the teleport could handle at the same time. They'd never tested it before. Avon might know. He probably did. But Cally said that Argus had gone to look for Avon.

The idea that Avon might be missing was not one Vila wanted to think about right now. He already had more than enough things to worry about.

There was one other who would know for certain. Vila thumbed his teleport bracelet. "Zen, do you know how many people can use the teleport at the same time?"

Zen's tired voice responded, "You are requesting the maximum capacity for the matter transmission unit?"

"Yes, the maximum capacity." Vila wondered if Avon could program the computers to sound at least a little urgent when the occasion demanded.

Zen's answer came back, "The matter transmission unit can transport eight humanoid life forms simultaneously."

"Thanks, Zen." Vila did some quick math in his head. "That makes 14 trips."

Weapons fire from outside the building caused them all to duck instinctively. They were out of time. There was return fire from inside the building. The battle had begun.

Vila's voice reflected his nervousness but also a determination. "Mr. President. About that armoury?"

Brent directed his people to arm themselves and help cover the exits. Everyone started rushing about as weapons fire became the loudest sound that could be heard.

As everyone prepared to defend themselves, Vila used his teleport bracelet comm again. "Sergeant, we're going to get everyone out but there are over a hundred people here. I'm going to coordinate the evacuation end of things, could you…take care of the battle part? Make sure the insurgents don't get in until everyone is out?"

"I'll handle it , sir. You can concentrate on getting everyone out."

**********

Argus clenched his teeth as Cally pressed on the wound that he swore didn't need any attention until later. Cally looked at him, trying not to shake her head. She wondered why it was that men insisted on the illusion of toughness even when it was detrimental to their health.

Cally tried to concentrate on her difficult patients even though she was full of worry and fear about Avon's disappearance and her own inability to reach his mind. She could sense that Avon was in pain but her awareness of him was weak.

Cally was afraid that he had suffered a head injury, one that prevented him from trying to communicate with her. She didn't even know if he could hear her. All she could do, in the few moments she had free, was to continue communicating with him and assume that he was able to hear her. He needed her support. Whatever was happening to him, was draining what little physical resources he had.

They needed to find him quickly.

Her other worry was Reya. She had seen the attitudes of the Chandaran men during the contests. Reya was in real danger the longer she remained in their hands.

They had to rescue both of them. The sooner the better and in order to do that, they needed people who could still walk around and function.

Cally said in a voice that refused to take 'no' for an answer, "Lie down. I'm going to stop the bleeding."

There was a rebellious look in his eyes as Argus answered, "I'm fine. You should take care of the others first."

"You are bleeding all over my medical unit. Do you see anyone else doing that?" she asked pointedly.

Argus's eyes swept the room. There were wounded soldiers lying down on the bio-beds. It filled him with guilt.

He said, "No, but…I have to go find Avon. He's still missing. The Chandaran insurgents must have him." His voice had begun to rise in anger, "They set a trap for us and they still have Reya. I have to find them both."

Cally led him gently but firmly towards an empty bed. "Then it's all the more reason for me to tend to your wound first. I want you at your _best_ when you find Avon and Reya. It will not help them if you faint from loss of blood."

"I do _not_ faint," Argus said stubbornly.

"Would you like me to wait a few minutes?" asked Cally with the same gentle sarcasm she often had to use with Avon as she gestured for Argus to lie down.

Argus was about to complain again at this unnecessary treatment but the look in Cally's eyes made him get up on the bed and lie down without saying another word.

One of the non-injured soldiers raced in. "Sir, Vila has reported in. He says to have someone in the teleport room and get the medical unit ready in case they need it. And make lots of room."

"Room?" Argus twisted around and grunted in pain as Cally opened up his shirt to reveal a deep laser burn in his side.

She told him, "Stay still. Unless you want this to take even longer or you want me to sedate you first."

Argus lay back again and asked the soldier, "What exactly did Vila say?"

The soldier replied, "Those were his exact words, sir."

Argus had been doing a lot of under-his-breath cursing these last few days. He added a few more before he said, "Ask him for more details. If he needs help, send another team down. I'm assuming this extra room is for more people and some of them might be injured?"

"I don't know, sir. He didn't say."

Argus muttered under his breath again. "I don't suppose he said how many people either? Ouch."

"No, sir."

Cally said, "Sorry. I did tell you to stop moving."

Argus addressed the soldier again, "Alright. We already have someone on the teleport for Vila and his team. Tell Lt. Dain to report to me but I want him to assign a security detail to help in the teleport room first."

"Yes, sir."

"And go and find out more details from Vila."

"Yes, sir." The soldier exited.

Argus asked Cally impatiently, "Are you done yet? Can I go now?"

Sester's pleasant voice came from the doorway, "Of course, she's not done yet. You still haven't finished bleeding."

Argus's voice became an instant snarl, "What are you doing here?"

Sester came in and stood looking down at him. "I'm supposed to be helping, remember?"

"You've helped _more_ enough for today. I thought Cally gave you drugs so you could sleep."

Sester's smile was friendly but his eyes were just a little too bright and there was a slight tremor in his hands. "I didn't want to take them yet. I wanted to talk to you."

"I'm busy bleeding, remember? No thanks to you. Now go get some rest."

"You mean, like you're going to get some rest after Cally fixes you up?"

"I don't need rest."

"Of course not."

Despite the acknowledgement that he needed Sester's help, Argus's ever present antagonism towards his rival was never far below the surface. "Spare me the sarcasm."

"I didn't come here for a fight, Argus. I will go back to my room and sleep if that will help, but I wanted to thank you first."

Argus said icily, "I didn't do it for you."

"Ah. Of course." That was the other thing Sester had wanted to do. He wanted to understand why Argus had risked injury and his own life in order to save him. It was not like Sester to ask this kind of question, not for himself; he wasn't sure why he had. He couldn't have been hoping for a different answer; not from someone who had every reason to want him dead. "You did it for Reya and Avon. If it weren't for them, you would have let me die?"

Argus glared at him and didn't answer.

Sester had opportunities to study men like Argus. He had always been able to defeat them in strategy. He understood their motivations and their human weaknesses.

Sester laughed. The sound was abnormally higher pitched, he almost sounded drunk except that he hadn't had anything to drink. He knew Argus's weakness. It was him. "Of course you would have let me die."

For the first time, Cally interrupted into their conversation, "No he wouldn't."

Argus and Sester stared at her.

Cally added, "And if you didn't already know that, then perhaps you're no longer capable of using your psychostrategy skills objectively. Or it's something you don't _want_ to know."

Sester looked at them both strangely. "I'll…go back to my cabin now. And sleep." He turned on unsteady feet and left.

Argus asked Cally, "What was that about?"

"I can guess but you won't like it."

Argus frowned with displeasure. "I don't have time for this. Have you had any success in contacting Avon or at least any indication of where he might be?"

**********

Vila gathered the next group to go up to the ship. Things were going smoothly, even better than he had hoped. Between Trey and himself, they had persuaded a reluctant Chandaran President and his family to be one of the first ones to be transported to the ship.

So far, due to the efforts of his own team and the President's security staff, there had only been minor injuries. There had only been one serious attempt to rush the building but it had been beaten back. The insurgents didn't seem to have expected such fierce opposition and were either expecting reinforcements or were going to wait them out.

There weren't that many people left to go now.

The sergeant approached Vila. "Sir, you'd better go with the next group." That group was to contain the President's security staff. Everyone else had gone up to the ship.

Vila said, "But…" Until now, he hadn't thought about the last group to leave. They would be in the most danger. They had to hold off the invaders by themselves and then leave their posts and rush to the teleport point. Hopefully the enemy wouldn't realize that the building was no longer defended before the final group could teleport to safety. Normally, Vila would have preferred not to be in any group that would be doing something that dangerous. At least not willingly.

Fear threatened again, making Vila hesitate; but only for a moment. He didn't care if they wrote about people like him one day; heroes with feet of clay but with a heart that belonged to someone who wanted to do much more. He accepted that he would always be afraid, that he would always struggle with the need for personal survival; as long as in the end, more people were saved because of him than without him.

These soldiers were heroes. They were willing to stay behind until everyone else was safe. Vila didn't know if it was just part of their training to sacrifice themselves to protect others but he knew what his role was now too.

His old mates would have thought him a fool, or that he had lost his mind, but Vila said, " I'll stay with the team, if you don't mind."

Vila wasn't sure but he could almost swear that there had been a quick look of respect in the sergeant's eyes when he answered. "Yes, sir."

**********

Vila ducked as a laser tracer nearly grazed his ear. He was covering one of the exits that had been vacated by the President's security staff. Between intermittent ducking and thrusting his pistol out and firing off a few shots (just his pistol mind you, he was not about to risk his head), Vila wondered if insanity ran in his family for him to be doing this.

Why was it that all of the insurgents seemed to be shooting at his side of the building? It didn't seem fair somehow.

The teleport operator reported over Vila's teleport bracelet, "Sir, they're all up and safe."

It was time to leave.

Vila said, "Good. Get ready. We need a fast pick-up on this last one."

The operator responded, "I'm ready when you are, sir."

Vila contacted the others, "Alright everyone, on my mark, get to the teleport point as fast as you can. Three, two, one, mark!" Vila shoved his pistol out and fired off a few more shots and then raced to the rendezvous.

From all corners of the building, the soldiers came running.

At that point, the insurgents chose to make another rush of the building. They had just broken inside when the shimmer of the teleport energies dissipated, leaving an empty room and many confused Chandarans.

**********

Cally's mental voice reached out to Avon again. * _Avon. I don't know if you can hear me but we're trying to find you. Hang on. _* A wave of calm strength and reassurance washed over him. And despite her efforts to hide it, there were also strands of her fear and worry.

Avon's heart slowed its racing. Without the drugs, he could feel his grip on reality weakening and the nightmares slowly taking hold. Cally's voice and support and that of Reya were the only things keeping him anchored.

The sounds of someone else being tortured brought back too many memories that he had been trying to forget. His concussion-weakened and nightmare-gripped mind confused Reya's pain with remembrances of his own. They became real enough that he reacted in pain every time that she did.

Avon recognized the voice of the head torturer, the man who directed the others. It was the announcer, Grenthel. He was merciless, cruel and full of anger and hatred towards Reya.

Avon realized with surprise that at some point, amidst the sessions of brutal torture, she had become Reya to him. He no longer thought of her as the Commander. Perhaps it was because the pain connected them both.

The Chandaran insurgents wanted to break her spirit. Grenthel most of all. They needed her to announce that she was wrong and that she had cheated. They wanted her to admit that she was inferior.

What she had done in the fight chamber and the target field had been a big blow to the pride of an entire Alliance. They all needed to see her broken.

Avon wondered if it was simply a matter of outraged pride or if there was another need that was spurring them on. They almost seemed desperate to have her break and to confess her inadequacies on a live viscast broadcast to the whole Alliance.

Reya's refusal to break and her cold cynical attitude helped Avon to weather his own trials as his head injury made it almost impossible to concentrate for any length of time.

Between sessions, they left Avon to tend to her.

**********

After another torture session ended and the Chandarans left, Avon crawled over to where Reya lay. He felt weak all over and attempts to get up only resulted in rapid exhaustion. His head throbbed and any efforts to contact Cally only resulted in more pain and very little else.

He managed to sit up and lifted Reya's head, trying to give her some water. She was weak and could barely drink.

Avon said, "You must try. You need to…replenish your fluids." He tried cradling her head in the crook of his arm and this time she was able to a sip but started coughing. Avon held her against him until she settled down again.

Reya gasped, "Don't get…any ideas." She gave a weak laugh that set her coughing again.

"Now is not the time for levity." Avon's voice was expressionless, as good as any straight-man in a comedy duo.

It almost made Reya chuckle. She was in a strange mood. "It…is for me. There's nothing…else now."

"Laughing…in the face of death?" Avon asked.

"Don't you…do that for…irony?"

"Occasionally."

"I choose… the terms…of my death."

Avon said, "You're not…going to die. Argus and the others…are looking for us."

"I know. I just…There's not…much time…" She stiffened in pain.

Avon grimaced as well as his own body's phantom agonies echoed hers. He put a hesitant hand on her shoulder until it passed. He said in a flat voice, "Don't get any ideas."

Reya gasped out a chuckle. "You're not my type."

"And neither are you mine."

Reya's swollen face could only managed a lop-sided grin, "Argus will be…glad to hear…that."

"I'm sure he would."

"Avon, if something happens…"

"It won't."

Chapter Eighteen

Argus, trailed by the sergeant, made his way to the main cargo bay where many of President Brent's people were being housed. There should have been chaos with so many people milling around or at least elation at having escaped death, or even higher spirits because of the adrenaline that must still be pumping through their veins but there was a sombre atmosphere and groups gathered together talking quietly.

Vila came over immediately when he saw him. He was somewhat nervous. There was a whole cargo hold full of people that Argus probably had not expected to be rescued along with the President and his family.

Even though Vila was sure he had done the right thing, he was still apprehensive. He had been imagining conversations like…

_Arg__us asking with a stern voice, "Vila, refresh my memory. What were my orders?" _

In his mind, Argus's voice sounded like the one he used on the flight deck during that unavoidable brawl; the voice that made grown men quake in their boots

And his own voice, for some reason sounding like a small nervous mouse.

_"You said to go with President Brent and rescue his family."_

Then Argus's laser-like eyes would sweep across the cargo bay slowly while Vila wondered if he should have hid some of them in the storage rooms.

_And__ Argus's voice, in that low bass he had when he was about commit a controlled explosion at someone, would boom, "These people are __**all**__ related to him?"_

Of course Vila's imagination stopped at that point. Even in his head, he wasn't sure how he was going to answer _that_ question.

Vila waited for the dreaded conversation to begin but Argus just stared at him. It was taking so long that Vila wondered if he had suddenly grown an ugly mutation in the middle of his forehead and Argus was just too shocked to say anything.

Unexpectedly, a warm smile appeared on Argus's face. "You can relax, Vila. You did well."

"I did?" Vila wasn't sure how to take this considering he had been expecting something _else_.

"Yes, you did _very_ well. You showed good instincts and initiative."

Vila breathed a sigh of relief. The safe rescue of the Chandaran's made all the fear worthwhile but the warm and genuine praise made him feel appreciated on a ship he was finally starting to call home. He wanted to make sure though. "You don't mind all the people we brought on board?"

Argus told him, "You did a good thing, Vila."

Vila felt embarrassed all of a sudden. "I…didn't know if I could do it at the beginning. Or at the end. Or even in the middle."

Argus said simply, "I did."

A big grin spread across Vila's face. He said, "I wish you'd told _me_ that. Then maybe I wouldn't have worried so much."

Even as he said this, Vila wondered if he should tell Argus that it was never a good idea to believe in someone like this. It could get you into all kinds of trouble. Didn't Argus remember that he was a thief? Maybe he had forgotten. Should he remind him?

"It's because you worry, that he does trust you." Sester's variably welcome and unwelcome voice seemed to always come from assorted doorways.

Sester came towards them. He saw the inhospitable look on Argus's face and said with his usual pleasant manner, "Yes, I know. You want me to take my drugs, get out and go to sleep. Or in whatever order I can manage that will get me out of your way." His eyes were still overly bright and he looked very energetic. Sester said just a bit too cheerfully, "Hello, Vila."

Vila looked at him strangely. He could swear that Sester was acting drunk though he didn't smell any alcohol on him. "What's the matter with you?"

"Oh. Don't worry about me, Vila." He gestured expansively towards Argus. "_He_ certainly doesn't. Not unless I was useful." He gave Argus a big smile, one calculated to irritate and annoy.

"_Get out_." The low tight voice. Anger controlled. Eyes hard. The body dangerously still.

Vila could almost swear that he could feel his toes freezing. He felt tempted to ask Argus what was wrong with _him_ but after what Argus had just said to him, it didn't feel right to ask it.

Something was obviously going on with these two, something else. It really wasn't his business but it was still his job to keep an eye on Sester. Maybe he could find out what it was after this whole mess was sorted out.

Sester said, "No. Not this time. I am here to help you find Avon and Reya and I'm not going to leave until we do."

Argus's extreme dislike of this man warred with the need to find Avon and Reya before it was too late. He pushed down his antagonism. "You can barely stand."

"I don't need my feet in order to use my mind."

Argus's voice was almost like a growl when he said, "If you fall down, I'm _not_ picking you up."

Sester smiled again. This was a different one. "_Of course_."

There was something in that expression that made Argus want to tell him to leave again but he controlled himself. He couldn't afford to lose this man's help right now.

Argus asked, "You have an idea about how to find them?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

The Chandaran President and Marlena came up to them. Brent asked, "Could I talk to you for a moment? You've already done so much for us but…we have a request to make."

**********

Brent had asked Argus to help his people to rescue their families. There were those who wanted to stay, to continue what Brent had started. Others wanted to get their families out before it was too late. Marlena told them that the Tellar Union would gladly accept anyone who wanted refuge.

Brent offered to give what help he could to help them find Avon and Reya. He believed that he still had some people who were loyal to him and had escaped the chaos.

Vila, Cally, Lt. Dain, Marlena, Corinne and most of the soldiers would help the Chandarans while Argus and Sester worked with Brent to rescue Avon and Reya.

**********

Argus, Sester and President Brent met in Sester's cabin. Everywhere else on the ship was crowded and Argus didn't want to be in his own room. It reminded him too much of Reya. He was afraid he would not be able to concentrate.

He asked Sester, "You mentioned that you had some ideas before?"

There was no antagonism between them, just two professionals focussed on an important task.

Sester said, "We should question the prisoners that you had brought up from the President's observation booth. Their leader, Poul may be of use. He may know where they're being kept or know someone who might know."

**********

The hostile Poul was brought to Sester's cabin under guard.

He sat on a chair facing them, his hands bound in front of him. "You're not getting anything out of me, Brent! You and your thugs can torture me all you want!"

Sester remarked casually to Argus, "It sounds like he just insulted you. Though in this society, thug might actually be a compliment."

Argus asked coldly, "Should I disappoint him?"

Sester said with an amused smile, "You know that _**I**_ don't mind but it might be hard for him to answer questions if you beat him to a pulp."

Poul said angrily, "Don't think that you can scare me with your little act!"

Sester unexpectedly stood up and crossed over to Poul. His manner became cold and menacing and his voice was a threatening whisper in Poul's ear, "Oh no? Do you know who Reya is?" Sester had suddenly made himself a person to be feared.

For a brief moment, Poul was frozen in shock by the confusingly abrupt change from the pleasant, joking man with all smiles to the dangerous one that was speaking next to his ear. "You don't scare me," Poul said with lips that were trying to sneer but found themselves touched by fear. "She's just a woman."

Sester was almost hissing the next part. "She is _never_ _just_ a woman. She is more than you could ever hope to be." Sester paused and circled Poul like a predator contemplating where to strike next. He suddenly leaned forward again and whispered menacingly into Poul's ear. "She is also _his bond-mate_."

Sester straightened up and pointed straight at Argus. The look on Argus's face froze Poul's blood with fear.

**********

After more psychological manipulation by Sester and with a little help from Argus, Poul became much easier to handle. He told them that the instigator of the coup was Thelis, the Second President.

Brent's face fell in dismay, "Thelis and I have known each other for a long time. We're friends."

Sester said, "Not anymore."

Poul had also told them that he had no idea where Reya or Avon were being kept. It could be one of a dozen safe buildings the insurgents used while they gathered their forces. With some more 'coaxing', he gave them a list.

Argus looked it over and remarked, "Or it could be any number of buildings they've taken over since then. This isn't getting us anywhere."

Poul also told them that while they would never give up Reya, they might exchange Avon for Brent. And he might be able to help arrange the trade.

Argus was immediately opposed to this idea. "That's out of the question."

Sester's face was thoughtful. "Wait a minute. Let's think about this."

Argus faced Sester and said, "_No, we're not_."

Sester held his hand up. "Listen to what I have to say first."

**********

The Chandarans were in the room again. Reya screamed in agony in between angry refusals of their demands and cold, cutting remarks. It was the latter that confused and angered the Chandarans, making them even more brutal in their treatment of her.

Avon could feel each strike and each application of pain as if were his own. He bit his lip and tightened his fists, trying to stop himself from screaming as well. His clothes were drenched with sweat. They had dumped him in a corner of the room, out of their way, his head, facing the wall. They bound his hands behind him, so that there was nothing he could do to stop them. Any attempts to turn around only rewarded him with a vicious kick to the back.

The sounds of pain finally stopped.

One of the Chandarans said, "We should just kill her. We've been at this for two days, she's never going to break this way. A nice public execution. It will do the same thing."

Grenthel said, "No! _She must break_. It's the only way to undo the damage of the contests."

Avon heard Reya's weak and pained voice told them, "You're fools…if you think…you can…undo… what I _achieved_." She stressed the last word with what little strength she still had, knowing it would antagonize them.

Reya grunted in pain as someone hit her. She gasped for breath.

Every loss of control and resort to brutality by the Chandarans was a triumph for Reya, despite the painful cost. It was her defiance of all of them. She was still winning, even in here.

The men were becoming increasingly frustrated and they didn't know why. The chains told them that they were the ones with the power. Their ability to inflict pain was their expression of their superiority. But for some reason, their control was slipping in this room. They could feel it, they didn't understand it and they definitely didn't like it.

Despite a voice that was a bare whisper, Reya said with biting sarcasm, "Does it make… you feel superior.. to beat a defenceless…opponent? Or does your… society…not recognize the…concept of...honour?"

Grenthel's angry voice shouted, "Shut up, woman! You will not speak unless spoken to. And you will only tell me what I want to hear."

She said dismissively, "Violence…is the refuge…of those…"

Reya began to scream again.

In his corner of the room, Avon's body stiffened in reaction to her pain. He couldn't see what they were doing to her but in many ways this was worse. His imagination, dredging up his own horrible experiences at the Detention Centre, made it even worse.

Reya's defiance was what connected his experience to hers, even more than the pain. He was developing a great deal of respect for this woman, even though his logical mind told him that she was a fool for continuing to bait them. What did the defiance do in the end but cause more pain and bring her closer to death?

He had often asked himself that at the Detention Centre. In the dark days when there didn't seem to be any hope, he had asked himself that. In the shadows, his mind had told him one thing but his will and his spirit had refused to do it; just as she was refusing now.

The screaming stopped abruptly.

Grenthel asked, "Is she dead?"

A scratchy-voiced Chandaran answered, "She's unconscious. But she _will_ die if you don't stop now. She needs medical attention; she will not be able to stand much more of this."

Grenthel's voice was full of menace as he asked, "You want to _help_ her?"

The scratchy-voiced man quickly denied this. "Of course not! I hate her as much as you do, but it will not help us if she dies before she can undo the damage. _Think, Grenthel!_ You have to slow down before you kill her. No one can take this and survive for much longer. We're just lucky that she hasn't gone into shock from loss of blood yet."

Grenthel said with ill-humour, "Alright. Take her down. Give her an infusion. Just do enough to keep her alive. Nothing more."

Avon could hear the sound of chains being unlocked and people laying Reya down on the floor. There were other sounds that he couldn't identify but which he assumed were the Chandarans rendering medical aid.

He couldn't hear any sounds from Reya. This most likely meant that she was still unconscious. It was a small mercy. He remembered the ministrations of the medtechs at the Detention Centre. Sometimes, the torture didn't seem as bad.

Someone gave Avon a light kick in the back, causing him to groan in involuntary pain. The kicker, a smooth-voiced Chandaran asked, "What about this one? He's of no use to us. Why are you keeping him alive?"

Grenthel said, "He's still useful as a hostage. We know his people rescued Brent. Once we find out where they are…"

Smooth voice asked, "You think they'll give Brent up in return for him?"

"We'll find out," said Grenthel. "What I want to know is how they were all able to escape the residence."

"I thought there were tunnels under the palace. Or secret exits?"

"There aren't. We had one of our groups check."

Someone else asked, "Who _are_ these people?"

Grenthel said, "That's another thing I want to find out. They're not from this Sector."

Smooth-voice landed a harder kick against Avon's back, causing him to groan in pain. "Why don't we just question this one? We might get more out of _him_ than her."

Scratchy-voice said, "I wouldn't recommend that. I've already told you, he's suffered a severe concussion. Assuming he can answer questions at all with any clarity, prolonged questioning or pressure of any kind might kill him."

Grenthel did not like people who thwarted his opportunities for aggression. "I really am beginning to wonder whose side you're on, Aiken. First her and now him? Why are you trying to protect them?"

The scratchy-voiced Aiken said, "I'm beginning to wonder what you have against me doing my job, _Grenthel_. Are you going to take responsibility if either one of them dies _before_ they've outlived their usefulness? Do you want to explain it to _HIM _then, or shallI?"

Grenthel's menace-dripped voice said, "You over-estimate your usefulness, _Aiken_."

Avon could hear the iciness in Aiken's voice. "To you perhaps, but to _HIM_?"

Grenthel's voice conveyed the sneer that must have been on his face. "He hasn't taken control _yet_. He still needs our support."

Aiken's voice did not hide his open antagonism, "I'm sure he will be very interested to know that you think _that_."

"I'm not afraid of him and certainly not of _you_, Aiken."

Aiken challenged him, "Then why don't you torture her to death? Or this one? Then we'll see who you're really afraid of."

The sound of Aiken and Grenthel's voices were so close together that Avon could imagine that one of them had invaded the other's personal space.

The tension in the room was so explosive that Avon expected them to come to blows but instead, Grenthel said, "This isn't over, Aiken."

"Not by a long shot, Grenthel."

Through the haze of pain, Avon was fascinated by this confrontation he was hearing. Some interesting things and useful things were being said, if only he was in a position to use them.

Grenthel's voice still held a tone of menace even though he asked, "Are you done yet?"

Aiken seemed to be the one rendering medical aid. "We're done. She'll live for now, lucky for you. You should give her some rest if you don't want her to keep passing out."

Avon could hear a snarl from Grenthel and then many feet moving towards the exit. The door slid open.

Aiken's scratchy voice said to one of the others, "I could do with some rest myself. How is the take-over going?"

Smooth-voice said in a quieter voice, "You should be careful, Aiken. Grenthel's dangerous."

"So am I."

"Don't say I didn't warn you. We've taken the Government complex and the main military, communications and…" The sound of voices were cut off as the door slid closed. The lights were extinguished again and only the dim luminescent strips from the ceiling provided illumination.

In the dark, Avon tried to think past the pain in his head. He now knew why he had been spared any torture. It was something that had been troubling him.

It was still puzzling though. Either Aiken was an incompetent medical practitioner or a more humane one than he should be in this society. Avon's concussion was severe, but it should not have stopped them from questioning him.

The other interesting thing, of course, was a mention of a _HIM_. Grenthel was obviously not the leader of this coup. All of the men in this room answered to someone else. The third interesting point was the power struggle that appeared to be going on. Whoever this _HIM_ was, not everyone accepted his leadership.

This kind of conflict could serve their purposes. Avon was certain it was something they could get Sester to use against the Chandarans. He had to escape.

Reya groaned. She was unmercifully conscious again.

Avon grimaced with her. They both had to escape.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Nineteen

Vila glanced nervously behind him as he went towards his cabin for the night. He could swear that someone or something was watching him. Was he just being paranoid? The corridors were empty.

Why would someone be watching him? It didn't make sense.

He shivered involuntarily and gave a nervous laugh. This was something he had in common with Avon. Not the nervous laugh, it was their constant wariness of possible dangers or traps; and they were usually right. Avon calculated his in his head. Vila felt his.

Maybe he was just tired and his mind was playing tricks on him. Worries about Avon and Reya had been weighing him down all day on top of which, it had been a long and intense day of planning and preparation with the others. He really wasn't very good at that end of things, or even interested in it, truth be told. He had gladly let Cally, Marlena, Trey and Lt. Dain take the lead, while he tried to listen without yawning and added the occasional nod of agreement.

Sometimes he would glance surreptitiously at Corinne, who was sitting next to her mother. She had given him a brief smile once. Or at least he thought it was to him. It was hard to tell since Cally had been speaking at the time and she was sitting next to him. At that point, his mind had wandered off and he imagined that she really had been smiling at him. Not the brief hint of one he almost caught but a great big smile. One that brightened the whole room and was just for him.

Of course at that moment, Marlena had asked him something important and he hadn't been paying attention. He had feigned a coughing fit and they passed onto something else until he was ready again.

Marlena was a gentle woman with a soft but firm voice and quick intelligence. Her presence made people feel comfortable but when her eyes bore into you, all the clothes in the galaxy was not enough to hide the truth from her. Vila really hoped that she hadn't noticed him secretly glancing at her daughter.

Corinne never seemed to be alone; she was always with one of her parents. She walked with the same confidence as her mother but sometimes, Vila thought that she seemed nervous and a bit overwhelmed. He wouldn't blame her under the circumstances, he often felt that way himself.

Vila reached his cabin and passed his hand across the door panel. As the sensor recognized him, the door slid open. He turned around quickly to look behind him again. There was still nothing but empty corridor.

_I must just be tired. _Time to get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be an even longer day and there was going to be lots of action as they began helping the Chandarans. Now if only he could arrange to be alone with Corinne or if she was assigned to his team. Vila smiled and went inside.

**********

Argus moved restlessly and hit his head on a weight bench. He was sleeping in the gym again because it had proved impossible in his cabin. Everything reminded him of Reya there. Being in the converted gym reminded him of her too but at least here, he wasn't comfortable.

Guilt ate at him. He needed the discomfort and the pain in his side, it didn't make him feel better but at least it didn't make him feel worse. He missed her so much that it hurt. He felt hollow inside, as if a large part of him was missing, the only part that mattered.

Argus knew he should sleep, should rest himself for the big day ahead but every time he closed his eyes, he could see them hurting Reya and it filled him with rage. Argus struck out with his fist and hit the bench.

He had failed them both, Reya and Avon. Argus had sworn to himself that none of his people would ever die again because of him. He was not going to rest until he rescued them both.

**********

Cally had a severe headache. She rubbed her temples. Every moment she was not helping plan for the activities tomorrow or tending to her charges in the medical bay, she was trying to contact Avon with her psi abilities. Marlena and her daughter had offered their assistance with the injured. For that she was grateful but it did little to alleviate her anxieties.

She was filled with frustration and worry. The only thing she could sense was Avon's pain and his presence at the periphery of her consciousness. She was afraid that he was being tortured again. That above all troubled her the most.

She knew that Avon would be able to withstand it. He had proved more than capable of weathering anything that was thrown at him. But at what cost?

Cally alone knew what being at the Detention Centre had done to him. The few times he had allowed her to enter his mind had shocked her. She was not able to read his thoughts but she could feel the shape of him, could wander the landscape of his consciousness and could experience in an even deeper way his emotional state.

There was so much that was broken inside that she couldn't imagine anyone being able to survive. The strength of his mind and will were the only things keeping him together. She could sense the fragile and broken shards of him; the hardness and sharp edges that came out in anger, suspicion and self-protectiveness, and the surprising gentleness that he never allowed anyone to see, that he rarely admitted to, even to himself. That part that had reached out to Anna and gave his life to her even though he could never tell her.

The ever-present pain and fears lurking just below the surface; the deep emotional and psychological scars that seemed to touch almost every aspect of him. And the wall that was never high enough or thick enough to protect him from the things that hurt even after the pain stopped.

She could not read Avon's mind but she _knew_ him in a way no one ever had before. He had allowed her that. It was a frightening step of faith for him, one that was completely against his nature, but one he had been willing to take because it was important to her.

He was not a perfect man and neither was she a perfect woman. But he was all that she had thought he could be. And that hidden gentleness that was once Anna's was now hers. In many ways it was even more important than his willingness to die for her.

Cally never wanted him to be hurt again but she knew that it was a vain hope. Many things drove him on, never allowing him to rest except for brief moments of respite. The happy and restful weeks they had spent together on Pleasure City had confirmed something for her. She hoped that one day they would be able to go back there, or somewhere similar, and make it their home.

Ignoring the headache, she reached out with her mind again.

**********

* _Avon. I am here. * _Avon opened his eyes as a wave of calm and reassurance washed over him. _Hang on, Avon. Argus has a plan to rescue you. They are going to try it tomorrow._

He concentrated again in a vain attempt to externalize his thoughts. Agony filled his mind and splintered his thoughts. He gasped at the suddenness of it and stopped. It was no use.

*_ Avon, don't try to speak. _*

She was aware of what he was trying to do. Avon realized that she must be able to sense his pain and connected it with an effort to reach her.

Another wave of reassurance and healing calm washed over him again, easing the tension.

A weak moan drew his attention. Avon struggled to a sitting position and checked on Reya. Her forehead felt hot to the touch. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

He told her, "Hang on." He wanted to tell her what Cally had said to him but he couldn't risk it in case they were being overheard.

Reya's breathing was in shallow, ragged gasps that were painful to hear. Her eyes could barely express anything more than pain now but there were still the occasional flashes of an unbroken spirit. She looked small and alone.

Avon imagined that he had looked like this at the Detention Centre. Alone in his cell, with nothing but pain for company; his arms wrapped around himself and his body curled up, just to feel some illusion of warmth. Another wave of reassurance from Cally washed over him. He was no longer alone; he would never be alone again.

He looked down at Reya's broken and bleeding form. There was no one to reach out and send her the same comfort and reassurance.

No one. Except him. Hesitantly, Avon reached out and took Reya's hand in his.

**********

Reya held onto Avon's hand as it were a lifeline and she would drown if she let go. The pain made it hard to think. Just breathing took most of her energy. Reya tried not to contemplate how much longer she had before they came back. Instead she occupied her mind with thoughts of Argus, drawing up memories and images of him in her mind. The way he stood, tall and straight and with shoulders back.

At times she could almost see the burdens weighing him down. The tiredness he would get sometimes and the grim determination in his eyes as if he owed something that he could never repay. And sometimes the fear he would have, quickly hidden, when the control slipped and he hit with greater force than he intended to.

Most of all she dwelt on his nobility of spirit, his willingness to sacrifice himself for others, his fierce protective nature, the mischievous twinkle he had in his eyes and the way he did everything with passion and honesty.

A smile touched Reya's lips at the memories. Sometimes he frustrated her to no end with his inability to communicate how he felt or his complete lack of communication when he got it into his head that he had to do something. He could be very stubborn and dense sometimes. There were things he was curiously ignorant of, as if he had never lived a normal life where people had families and lives outside of the military.

A typical Alpha male as the Federation had made him but also not very typical. From the beginning of their relationship, he had always treated her as an equal. She knew that it had never entered his head not to. It was a very curious thing coming from someone of his background and it was one of the first things that had drawn her to him.

"Are you alright?" Avon's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Reya opened her eyes, stifling a groan as her mind returned to the here-and-now and the reality of her battered body reasserted itself in her mind. "Why…do…you ask?"

"Your face changed."

She told him, "I…was thinking."

"That was apparent."

"It's not…a topic you…would be interesting…in."

"Ah." Avon could guess what it was. He had done it often himself at the Detention Centre. For a man who never admitted to needing anyone, it was thoughts of Cally and the others that had meant the most to him during those dark, cold days.

"Avon, can you…do something..for me? A message? If I don't…"

Avon stopped her. "You _will_ get out of here."

Reya managed a crooked, wry smile, "Even you…can't…guarantee that, Avon. You're a…practical man. If it were…you. Would you not…want to leave a…message for Cally?"

Avon had never thought of that before. He remembered leaving a message for the _Liberator_ crew when he went down to the fiasco that had been Terminal. But it had been no sentimental communication. Just a detailed explanation of the events leading up to his insane decision to go after…Avon's stomach twisted in pain. It had been a long time since he thought about Blake.

Even though she spoke in a bare whisper, Reya still managed to convey instant concern. "Avon! Are you alright?"

Now was not the time for thoughts about Blake. Avon wondered if it would ever be. He wondered if it was his mind's way of protecting itself from something he was not ready to deal with yet.

Avon reassured Reya, "I'm fine."

Reya tried not to laugh, "You're an…even worse…liar..than Argus."

"I must be…out of practice."

At that Reya did laugh but immediately started coughing. Avon gripped her hand tighter until she stopped.

As he waited Avon contemplated this idea. Something as sentimental as a message wasn't something he had considered leaving. He knew that other people considered it important. Reya certainly did.

Would Cally want one? She already knew how he felt about her. He had demonstrated it in a way that left no doubts. He was afraid that she most likely would want one. She was very human that way.

A last communication. A confirmation of things they both knew. A final expression, a memory to leave her. It would be the last thing he would be able to do for her.

Avon's eyes brightened with understanding. Now that he could understand. It was the last thing he could do for Cally in a situation when he had nothing else he could do for her.

Avon resolved to remember it for the next time that he came into an impossible situation. For now he fully expected to be rescued. Cally had reassured him Argus was coming for them. Reya didn't know though. She still had this need for a last message.

Avon asked, "You wanted to say…something earlier?"

"Yes."

Chapter Twenty

Reya asked, "Avon…can you…tell him that…"

The door of the room slid open.

Avon looked up at their captors, expecting them to pick him up and shove him into the corner again, like a bag of unwanted refuse.

Grenthel said curtly, "Bring him."

Him? They were after him this time? Had they finally decided that he had outlived whatever limited usefulness he had and were going to get rid of him? Then why not do it in this room? Was it going to be a public execution like had been mentioned for Reya?

Two of them approached Avon and grabbed him roughly by the arms and pulled him up. Unexpectedly Reya reached out for him and caught his leg. She gasped, "No. Leave him…"

Grenthel kicked her in the side. Reya cried out in pain and let go.

As the two men dragged Avon to his feet and carried him from the room , Grenthel said with twisted sneer, "Don't worry, we'll be back for you once we take care of this one and this time we will finish what we started. You are NOT the Champion of Chandar!" He kicked her again.

**********

Argus stood like an immovable tree in the midst of a large open field; the only one who didn't seem affected by the strong gusts of wind that whipped up the assorted shrubbery around them. The Chandaran President stood beside him. The two men were calm and seemed outwardly untouched by the tension and danger; every inch the level-headed and fearless leaders that they were. Several soldiers were ranged behind them, their hands lightly touching weapons that were ready to be drawn into service at any time.

Argus's eyes sought out any tell-tale signs of his other men, the ones that would ensure that there would be no surprises. He didn't spot any; he hadn't expected to. There were no indications of the Chandaran insurgents yet either.

He had to stay controlled, he had to do his job if Avon and Reya were to be rescued.

As his eyes continued to sweep the field, Argus remembered the conversation with Sester, and suppressed an urge to bare his teeth at the thought of the insufferable psychostrategist. Though he would never trust him, Argus knew that his rival had a personal reason for what he was doing. Sester would never endanger Reya's life or Avon's. It was the only reason Argus had agreed with this plan.

"Alright, that might work to get Avon back but what about Reya and the President? How do we know that they won't kill him the moment he's in their hands? How do we know that they will take him to Reya? What if they've already killed her? " Argus's stomach felt ill at the thought. This secret fear that he refused to voice, had been haunting him even as he refused to give up.

Sester was excruciatingly confident as he said, "They won't kill either one of them and they will bring the two of them together."

"How can you be sure of that?"

Sester had the kind of look on his face that set Argus on edge. The psychostrategist knew something. "Why don't you ask the President why they won't kill Reya yet? Or him for that matter."

President Brent appeared perplexed but a look of understanding came over Marlena's face. She said, "Of course, the title."

Argus was mystified, "What title?"

Brent finally appeared to understand as well as he said, "Ahhh. I should have remembered. My mistake that started all of this. The Champion of Chandar. They need me to revoke it. And they will want it to be as public a ritual as possible."

Sester said, "There is another way but obviously they haven't been able to utilize it. That means Reya is still alive. She is the only other one who can revoke the privilege."

Marlena asked him, "You are not a Chandaran, how did you know?"

Sester smiled unbearably, "I have my ways."

Argus was the only one who had no idea what the others were talking about. He did not like this feeling, especially when his nemesis was involved. "What's special about this title?"

Brent and his bond-mate looked at each other.

The Chandaran party entered at the edge of the field.

**********

Cally contained her reactions as she saw caught a glimpse of Avon at the back of the group. He was being half-dragged along by two Chandarans. Avon's face contained as little reaction as she was trying to maintain but she was aware of his confusion and the tightly controlled fear. He didn't know what was happening to him.

She called out to him with her mind, * Avon. We're all here. We're here to rescue you. *

Cally saw his head lift up and felt a flash of excitement across his consciousness that matched her own. She sent him a sense of calm and reassurance and tried to keep her worry from him. A nasty head wound caked in blood explained the pain she had been sensing from him and why he hadn't been able to externalize his thoughts so that she could pick them up.

She could hear Argus asking in a low voice, "Are you ready, Mr. President?"

Brent responded, "I'm ready."

"Remember. If you feel your life is in danger at any time, give the signal and we'll pull you out."

Brent gave a slight nod. "I understand." He turned his head towards Argus and said with the resolve of a man who felt responsible, "We'll get her out. I will not let them them kill her."

The Chandarans came into hearing range before Argus could say anything further. One of the insurgents stepped forward. Just from the way he carried himself, there was no doubts about the man's proud arrogance, not that it would be unusual in Chandaran society, but he seemed even more so.

Brent said frostily, "Grenthel. I should have known you were involved in this."

Grenthel said, "Too late for you."

Brent said, "It's good to know who my real friends are."

Grenthel said with a cruel sneer, "Don't worry, you won't have many for long. I guarantee you that. I should have known you were weak. That's what comes from letting yourself be influenced by a female. Giving yourself up for a stranger you don't even know? You're a fool, Brent. You're not fit to lead us."

Argus said, "Let's get on with it."

Grenthel directed his sneer towards Argus. "All of you are weak."

Brent said, "I would be careful, Grenthel. You can call me weak but I wouldn't recommend calling any of these people that. Remember you made that mistake with Reya."

Grenthel spat out, "We will take care of her too."

Brent said, "She'd better still be alive, Grenthel."

"You're not in a condition to dictate anything."

"That's where you're wrong but we will discuss this after the trade."

Grenthel suddenly smiled. It was an expression that was tainted with aggression. "Yes. After the trade, we will have much discussing to do." He gestured behind him and the two men holding Avon began to drag him forward.

Argus whispered under his breath so that only Brent could hear, "Be careful, Mr. President."

Grenthel said, "Now you, Brent. Slowly."

Argus said to Brent, "Good luck." Two soldiers accompanied the President as he went forward.

Suspicions were high. The open expanse between the two groups was charged with tension as the men walked towards each other. At any moment each expected the other to do something that would cause the field to be bathed in blood and death.

It was almost an anti-climax as Avon was exchanged for Brent and both groups left with their respective prizes.

Cally immediately put her arm around Avon to support him and checked his head wound. * We'll get you back to the ship. * Avon stared at her and then he nodded. The pain in his head was excruciating now, he could barely think. There was something he had to tell them before he could allow himself to relax and to feel relief.

He managed a weak, "Cally…there's…"

"It's alright, Avon. Everything's fine now. We'll get you back to the ship."

"No, there's some…"

Argus had been watching the Chandarans exit the field with the President. He said, "Alright get Avon back to the ship."

Cally took a spare teleport bracelet from her medical bag and snapped it onto Avon's wrist.

Avon tried again. His voice was barely a whisper, "Reya is…"

Argus said in a gentle tone, "It's alright, Avon, I know. We have a plan to get her out. I have people following the President and they should lead us right to her. You get back to the ship with Cally."

Before Avon could tell them that he know where Reya was, that they had both been imprisoned together, Cally called for teleport and they transported back to the ship.

**********

Vila breathed a sigh of relief when Avon appeared on the teleport pad, but it was a short-lived sigh as he saw the dried blood on Avon's head. He immediately came forward from his seat behind the teleport controls but there was little he could do besides offer his presence as support. Cally was there and the soldiers had Avon well in hand. They didn't need any help from him.

Marlena and Corinne, who had been hanging around the teleport room with Vila in case any word came about Brent, also came forward to help.

Marlena said to Cally, "I would like to offer my assistance."

After seeing Marlena handle the wounded soldiers in the medical unit, Cally welcomed her support.

Marlena said, "Corinne, why don't you stay with Vila in case your father needs some help."

"Yes, mother."

**********

Vila was trying not to stare at Corinne. Of course, he had been really trying not to the whole time Marlena _and_ Corinne had been there. First, it was rude to stare and second, and most important of all, he wasn't sure if her mother would like someone like him staring at her beautiful daughter.

In Vila's experience, beautiful women expected far more than he was likely to be able to give them. Not that he didn't think himself worthy, he just knew that no one else did. Even though the people on this ship seemed to appreciate him, he doubted if that was enough.

His restless fingers played absently with a small disk he used to keep his fingers nimble. It was a comforting movement that helped to soothe some of the tension he was feeling.

For a man who was an incessant worrier, expecting that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, wasn't just a trite axiom, it was a way of life. There were so many things to be anxious about that his mind didn't know where to concentrate.

Avon looked bad when he came back onboard. That head wound with all the blood couldn't have been good. Vila didn't like the sight of blood on any day of the week, especially not his own. When it was that of someone he cared about, it was just as bad. Avon seemed out of it too, trying to mutter something that no one could understand.

More injuries to his head was the last thing poor Avon needed. The man did have a hard head but there were limits, even if he wouldn't admit them to anyone else. Cally must be worried sick.

They were all _very_ worried about Reya and what the Chandarans could be doing to her. Vila didn't even want to imagine what his fear was trying to tell his mind was most likely happening. Other than President Brent and his people, the Chandarans he had come across on the planet, did not fill him with any warm feelings.

There was more than enough worrying to go around for everyone.

Sitting teleport duty, waiting for the group on the planet to ask for emergency teleport any minute, was making things worse. Even though Vila knew it was important, at the moment, it didn't _feel_ like he was helping anyone.

He glanced up at Corinne who was pacing nervously, her fingers lightly touching objects as they came into range. Her face looked as worried as he was feeling. He wondered if he looked the same to her.

Vila wished he could do something to make her feel better but all he had were words; words that didn't seem half as good enough right now. All he could do was sit and wait.

He had to say something. "You don't have to worry. Argus would die before he will let anything happen to your father."

Corinne turned to look at him. Vila's own worried face had not escaped her notice. She pointed out, "But _you're_ worried."

"I…well…yes. Just a little. It's my nature, I guess. It's hard not to with everything going on."

Corinne's came over to sit beside him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't just be thinking of myself. You have a lot more to worry about."

Vila could see that she was feeling guilty on top of being worried now. This was the last thing he wanted. He _had_ been trying to help. "No. It's your father. That's important. If my mother were still alive, I'd be worried sick too."

"You're mother is dead? I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago." The sorrows of Vila's past crept up on him from out of the depths of his memories. He hadn't thought about these things in quite a while, there were too many regrets to face. In this he was like Avon. Sometimes regrets needed to be kept a small part of life if you were to function at all.

Vila always wished that he had become a master thief while his mother was still alive. He wished he could have been able to give her the things that she deserved.

He told Corinne, "Let's not talk about that. It's in the past and we both have people to worry about now. Do you want to see your father?"

"You can do that?" A hesitant smile brightened Corinne's face.

Vila pointed to one of the moving dots on the locator panel in front of him. "You see this? This is your father."

Corinne looked intently at the dot as if she wanted to see more than it was able to reveal.

Vila pointed to the other moving dots at the edge of the screen. "This one's Argus. And these are the soldiers."

They could see that the team was arranged in small groups, following Brent's dot at a discreet distance.

Unexpectedly, Corinne leaned towards Vila and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "This is wonderful. Thank you for showing it to me."

Vila's mouth dropped open in surprise and his hand went to his cheek where she had kissed him. "It's…nothing. Glad to do it. I thought it might help if you could see him. I mean, sort of…"

Corinne gave him a warm smile, "It does very much. Thank you, Vila."

**********

In the medical unit, Cally and Marlena were working to relieve the pressure that had been building up in Avon's head. Sester stood discreetly by the doorway, keeping out of their way.

Avon kept trying to push their hands away.

All Cally could feel from him was pain and increasing tension. She tried to reassure him, "Avon, it's alright. You're safe now. No one's going to hurt you. We're only trying to help."

Marlena said, "Perhaps it's me? I'm an unfamiliar presence. His mind is in such a state of confusion now that any stranger may seem threatening."

Sester told them, "He's trying to tell you something. Something important." He walked over to them.

"How do you know that?" Cally asked suspiciously. She couldn't believe that Sester could notice something about Avon that she hadn't.

Sester, reading the mistrust on her face, said, "Ask him."

**********

As Reya lay waiting for Grenthel's promised return, the door to her cell slid open.

**********

Sester rushed into the teleport room waving a clear data sheet in front of him. He stopped to catch his breath.

Vila and Corinne blinked in surprise at their unexpected and out-of-breath visitor. Vila asked, "What's wrong?"

Sester waved the sheet at him. "We have to get this information to Argus. It's Reya's location."

Vila's eyes widened like saucers and he took the data sheet eagerly. It wasn't just a vague location, it was also a rough sketch of the building where Reya was being held. "How?"

Sester explained excitedly, "It was Avon. He was being kept in the same cell. Quickly, Vila! We can save her!"

Corinne was excited at the news too, she added, "That means my father won't have to go through with the plan. We can get him out now too!"

Vila extended the sheet back to Sester and said, "You'll have to go and give the information to Argus. You can't operate the teleport."

Sester said without hesitation, "Alright." He immediately kitted himself out with a bracelet and went over to wait by the teleport pad while Vila contacted Argus.

Vila pressed the comm button. "Argus."

Argus's muted voice came over the speakers. "Yes, Vila? What is it?"

"I'm sending Sester down."

Argus's voice was not pleased. "Why would you want to do that?"

"He has the Commander's location and a drawing of the building that she's being held in."

There was a pause. Vila could imagine the look of surprise or shock on Argus's face.

Argus said urgently, "Send him down. You can save the explanations for later."

Chapter Twenty-One

The door to Reya's cell slid open. Aiken and a group of men she didn't recognize came in.

Aiken in his scratchy voice said, "Quickly! We have to get her out of here before Grenthel and the others get back."

Several of the men lifted Reya up; she tried not to groan at the pain that the movements caused. They supported her between them as they headed towards the door.

Reya gasped out, "Why…are you…doing this?"

Aiken was not as cruel-sounding a man as Grenthel. Perhaps it was because he was a medical man and that presumed at least a modicum of caring for those who were hurt, regardless of whom they were. There was no question what his loyalties were as he said, "Don't make the mistake of thinking that we're doing this for you. We're not here to rescue you."

"Then…why?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Now be quiet or I'm going to have to knock you out." The group moved quickly but cautiously down one hallway after another.

**********

Argus and his team arrived at the building where Reya was being held and headed straight for the cell. The door was open and they entered cautiously only to find it empty. Everyone stared at the blood on the floor and the chains along the wall.

Sester said, "She _was_ here."

Argus's voice was tight with tension even as his heart sank. "We're too late." He could barely keep his eyes off the blood that indicated that something terrible had happened in this room. It seemed as if all of his fears were coming true. The man of action was suddenly frozen, unable to act.

Sester bent down and touched one of the pools of blood, he grimaced at his findings. "This is still fresh. And warm. She couldn't have left that long ago. Reya may still be in the building."

Argus still stood stunned, staring at the blood, barely paying attention to what Sester had just said.

Sester shook him. "Argus! Snap out of it!"

This was a mistake as Argus instinctively reacted and slammed Sester against the wall. Argus's eyes bore into Sester's with dark anger and violence. For a brief moment, Sester wasn't sure if Argus was going to kill him but the control quickly come back and Argus let go of him.

Argus took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to contain the anger that was inside of him. He said, "You're right." This was as much of an apology as he was going to give his rival. "Everyone split up. Teams of two. We need to find her. Use a radiating pattern and head for the exit points first. Keep in touch using the teleport bracelets."

Argus looked at Sester and then he directed one of the soldiers holding a rifle, "Give him your sidearm."

The soldier removed the pistol from his holster and offered it to Sester who immediately held up his hand in refusal of the weapon. He said, "That's not a good idea. I'm not very good with weapons. I'll probably end up shooting you in the leg. By accident, of course, and then you'll be forced to kill me because you think I did it on purpose."

Argus took the gun and shoved it at him. "Then make sure you don't."

**********

Sester followed Argus as they looked for for Reya. Argus was a grim figure, like a predator intent on catching a prey that it intended to devour whole. Sester held the pistol tightly. He didn't like weapons; he generally considered them the last resort of people who didn't have the brains to think their way out of situations. Not that he wasn't conversant with the realities that did require them; he just had never come across one personally until now.

They hadn't run into anyone yet but that could change at any moment. They had to find Reya before Grenthel and his group arrived with the Chandaran President. If they didn't, things would become even more complicated.

Argus peeked carefully around the corner as they came to another junction. "It's clear." They turned into the corridor and began running down it. Suddenly at the end of the corridor, a group of people came into view. Two of them were dragging a battered and bleeding figure.

There was no freezing of motions this time, no hesitation from Argus. Recognition became action as he yelled Reya's name like a battle cry, instilling fear in those whom it was directed at, "Reya! " Before the shout ended, Argus had already shot the two men in front before they had a chance to bring their guns up.

The two men holding Reya were shocked to suddenly find themselves in the direct line of fire as their compatriots fell to the ground. There was a split second of indecision as they tried to decide if it was better to go for their weapons or to use Reya as a shield. Neither of them was dumb enough to risk drawing after witnessing what Argus had just done with blinding speed and precision.

Each man tried to pull Reya in front of them, which might have worked, if they were working together rather than pulling in opposite directions. Instead, both of them fell as well as Argus shot them both.

It had all happened so quickly that Sester was still trying to decide whether he could risk shooting at the insurgents when the two holding Reya died.

Argus rushed forward to catch Reya before she touched the ground, his pistol clattering to the ground beside him. He cradled her gently in his arms and his face was filled with grief. He whispered her name softly as if he was afraid of hurting her with his voice, "Reya."

There was no response. With trembling fingers he felt for her pulse. The beat was weak but she was still alive. He expelled a breath of relief and hugged her tenderly. The warmth of her body and the faint rising and falling of her chest was all he wanted to feel. Argus no longer looked like the strong soldier he had been moments ago, the agent of death who had dispatched four men before anyone could blink.

Sester watched the two of them, his pistol hanging limply in hands that wanted to reach forward and touch Reya as well. The wounds on her body filled him with anger. He had seen ones like these on Avon before; he could guess what had caused them.

There were feelings of guilt and regret when he thought about Avon. When he looked at Reya now, the guilt over what he had done to Avon mixed with the horror at what had been done to her. For some reason, it felt like he was responsible for her pain too.

They had come close to losing Reya. It suddenly hit him how precious and fragile her life was. She deserved someone better than a man who could not help playing with other people's lives. It was who he was; just as being a thief was who Vila was. He couldn't change. Reya deserved someone who loved her enough to stop playing games.

Sester did a double-take. He said with alarm, "Argus, look!"

Argus lifted grief-stricken and uncomprehending eyes to look at him. Sester pointed. "They're not Chandarans!" Argus's eyes moved slowly, as if he was stunned and could barely register where he was, and followed the direction of Sester's pointing finger. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of the men he had just killed, because they were no longer men. They had become green blobs. Argus grabbed the gun he had dropped on the ground just as Sester heard the sounds of a door sliding open behind him. He turned around and saw men entering into the hallway from an outside door.

He saw the Chandarans bring their rifles up to fire. Sester didn't know how he managed it but without thinking, he placed himself between them and Argus and Reya and immediately began firing.

His first shot hit one of Chandarans in the head and the man went down. Sester was sure he hadn't been aiming at anyone's head but he didn't care. He may not be good with weapons but he knew that as long as he continued firing, the enemy would feel the need to duck out of the line of fire and that was exactly what they did.

The Chandarans flattened themselves against the wall; others sought the shelter of the rooms along the corridor. Anything to get away from this madman who was firing wildly at them, seemingly knowing no fear as he stood like a standing target.

Argus was also galvanized into action but Sester was in his way. He recognized the man who had fallen with Sester's first shot; it was Grenthel, the man who had been at the exchange. There was no sign of Brent but he didn't have time to worry about that. Argus tried to shoot around Sester and said, "Get out of the way! You're blocking my aim!"

Sester heard the shout but continued firing madly. A shot hit him in the shoulder but he didn't seem to notice. With his free hand, he unclipped the extra teleport bracelet from his belt and tossed it behind him to Argus. "Get her out."

Argus hastily snapped the bracelet to Reya's wrist. He thumbed the comm button, "Vila, teleport! Three of us to come up! And get Cally!" Sester stopped firing as he heard the request for teleport. Another shot hit him in the chest and he began falling as the teleport whisked them all away.

**********

Argus, Reya and Sester appeared on the teleport pad just in time for Sester to complete his undignified fall to the ground. President Brent was standing by the teleport control panel when they arrived.

Cally and Marlena rushed in with medical kits in their hands. Argus wondered why the hell this ship didn't have any portable stretchers or medical conveyors of some kind as he moved Reya gently off the pad. The others helped Sester as he groaned in complaint.

Argus said, "Vila, get the others back up."

Vila asked, "Are we getting out now?"

Argus said, "No! We have unfinished business. The aliens _are_ here. They're involved in the coup and we've just killed several of them."

He went to the comm panel and contacted the flight deck. "Sergeant, have Zen bring the battle and navigation computers online. Have it monitor all activities within range and plot an escape path in case we need it. What's the status of the anti-detector screen? Is there any indication that anyone's aware of the ship yet?"

The duty sergeant's voice responded, "They don't appear to know we're here yet, sir."

"Good, let me know the moment the situation changes."

The sergeant acknowledged the orders.

Argus bent down by Reya again and asked Cally, "How is she?"

"We have to get her to the medical unit. She needs immediate treatment."

Argus picked Reya up gently and stood up. He looked down at Sester. There was no instant hatred for this man anymore, only an uncomfortable feeling because he wanted to hate him. "How is he?"

Marlena had been tending to Sester. "He will live but we have to stop the bleeding. We need to get him to the medical unit as well."

The injured pair was rushed to the medical unit while Vila began bringing the soldiers back and Corinne stayed to assist.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Twenty-Two

The medical unit was usually a serene place, but not at the moment. There was rushed activity as Cally and Marlena worked quickly on the injured Reya and Sester. Argus and President Brent stood nearby like helpless statues.

Brent, trying to relieve the worries of the man who had saved his life said, "She'll be alright. Your…Cally appears to know what she's doing."

Argus didn't answer.

Brent said, "That's two times I owe you my life."

Argus turned to him. "What did you say?"

"You've saved my life twice now."

Argus was mystified. "I didn't."

"You gave me the teleport bracelet."

Argus began to grasp what Brent was saying. "What happened? Why did you come back early?"

"A sticky situation. I was left in a room, guarded by three of Grenthel's men while he went to get your security officer. Another group came bursting in. It was clear that they wanted to capture me but Grenthel's men didn't agree. I could see where it was heading so while they were busy, I decided to leave. I got back just before you did."

Argus turned back to look at Reya. "Then you got yourself out, it had nothing to do with me."

"If it weren't for the teleport bracelet, I would never have been able to get out at all. So indirectly, I do owe you my life."

"Vila was on teleport duty, you should thank him." Argus didn't feel like anyone's gratitude right now. He would have exchanged it all if he could roll back time and stop this from ever happening.

Brent was finding it very difficult to thank this man. "Yes, I did do that when I came back. But you're the leader."

Argus had fallen silent again. His face was so expressionless that it was hard to tell what he was thinking, but his eyes told a different story. There was pain in them.

**********

Cally cleansed her hands with a sanitizer, looked down at the unconscious Reya and patted her shoulder.

Argus came over and asked with a hesitant voice, "Is she…how is she?"

Cally was very aware of his misery and pain, his emotions were very strong. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "She's fine. She'll make a full recovery."

The pain was raw in his voice, "But…she looked…"

"Yes, the wounds were…severe." Cally decided not to go into detail about what was done to Reya. It would not help him. "But not permanent. She needs to rest."

Argus asked, "When will she wake up?"

"It's hard to say. I have her on sedatives and she's heavily medicated for pain right now."

Argus grimaced. "How is Avon?"

"He's sustained a severe concussion. There was pressure building up in his brain due to bleeding but we've been able to relieve it. He should be fine in a few days."

"I'm glad." Argus's mind was eased somewhat at the news that Reya and Avon would recover. "How…about him?" His head indicated Sester who was also unconscious on a bed nearby.

"The chest wound was deep but didn't slice anything vital."

Argus was about to say a snarky, "You mean his heart?" but it didn't seem right at the moment. Instead he said, "Good."

Cally lifted quizzical eyebrows. "Is it?"

Argus took a breath and stared at her for a moment before he said, "When I found Reya, I was frozen. I couldn't do anything. If…it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have found her. And… he risked his life for us."

She asked cautiously, "Are you changing your mind about him?"

Argus said quickly, "No." It was an old defensive reflex. His right fist clenched as he admitted, "He…loves her. I…can't blame him for that."

"Just don't let your guard down around him."

"Never."

Vila and Corinne came into the medical bay, entering cautiously like two silent ghosts trying not to disturb the scenery. They didn't know what to expect.

Vila came level with Argus and asked in a whisper, his voice rising on the last syllable "Are they…alright?"

Argus turned his head just enough to see Vila out of the corner of his eyes without taking them off Reya. "Yes. They'll all be fine. Cally and Marlena were able to fix everything. They're sleeping now."

Vila breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. I wasn't worried or anything…"

Argus's voice had become an inexpressive monotone. "Good."

"I mean, I was, but in a good way."

"Good."

Vila saw that nothing was getting through to Argus now. He wondered if it was time to report that the soldiers were all back. Argus had wanted to know. He could always tell him again later if he wasn't paying attention. "All of the teams are back now. Did you want anything else done?"

Argus asked absently, "What?" Expression began to come back to his face. "Oh. They're back now." He was repeating things like someone who was slow and needed to remind himself what had been said. His eyes suddenly sharpened and he said in his normal voice, "They're back." He turned this head to look at him. "Thank you, Vila. Check in with the duty sergeant and see if the situation has changed. Tell him to have Zen monitor and record all communications to and from the location we found Reya in."

Vila got ready to go, at his elbow, Corinne was ready to accompany him. "I'll do that."

Argus looked at them curiously. "How are the Chandarans settling in, Corinne?"

Corinne's voice was soft, but with a hint of steel. "They're making themselves comfortable. You've been very generous but they're all worried about their families."

Argus said, "Don't worry, we haven't forgotten them. We will help as soon as we can."

"That would be much appreciated."

Argus glanced at Vila. "Why don't you have Vila give you a tour around the ship? We've all been too busy to do that."

**********

Corinne was wide-eyed as Vila gave her a tour around the ship, focussing on his favourite areas. Almost everything seemed new to her.

Corinne said, "I never imagined it to be so _big_ on the inside. They seem so boxed in from the pictures in the archives."

Vila asked, "You mean, you've never been on a ship before?"

"I've never been off the planet before. Father would take us outside occasionally. Late at night, in a closed transport. He'd show us all kinds of places. When there wasn't anyone around."

Vila was horrified. He knew that the women on the planet were not treated well; were little more than property. But it had never dawned on him what it really meant other than the obvious mistreatment. "I'm really sorry, Corinne."

Corinne's eyes were speculative as she regarded him with interest. Vila was as much a wonder of exploration for her as everything on the ship. She hadn't met anyone like him before. "You don't have to be. Father tried to give us the best that he could. I don't feel bad."

"But that's only because you haven't known anything else. Don't you hate them for what they did to you? I mean, you could have had a life somewhere else. A real life."

"Mother said that hate is a destructive emotion. It's a blade curved upon itself that hurts the person wielding it more than the person it is directed against."

Vila found this very hard to believe. "You mean, you don't hate anyone?" In his experience hate was a normal emotion when someone did something hateful. In the Federation, there had been a lot to hate.

"I would be very angry, maybe for a long while. But I would try to find a solution."

Vila suddenly wanted to put his arms around her and protect her from everything she didn't know about yet. He didn't want to burst her illusions but she had obviously never been exposed to the evils that human beings could get up to. She'd probably never been betrayed before. She had lived a very sheltered life.

They finally reached the cargo hold that had been converted into a gym. Vila stood from the doorway and waved at it. "This is where people exercise on the ship."

Corinne's eyes brightened. "Exercise?" She went inside eagerly.

Vila followed somewhat reluctantly. This was most likely the least interesting place on the ship for him, ranking right up there with the waste disposal system or the laundry facilities. He asked with trepidation, "You like to exercise?"

"Oh, very much. Father had one built for us. It was lots of fun."

Vila was thinking that Corinne really needed to be introduced to more normal forms of entertainment. He was looking forward to showing her all the things that he liked to do.

**********

Avon opened his eyes. It was such a strange thing to be without the constant pain in his head that he was confused for a moment.

A gentle presence brushed against the edge of his consciousness and a soft voice entered his mind. * _Avon, you're awake._ *

He thought towards her, *_ It would be difficult not to be with my eyes open. _*

Cally came into his field of vision and stood by his bed. "You're humour has returned. How are you feeling?"

Avon asked with surprise, "You heard me?"

"Yes. Your head injury is healing nicely. I was able to stop the internal bleeding and relieve the pressure to your brain. The injury was preventing you from being able to concentrate hard enough to think your thoughts so I could hear them."

Avon was relieved. This was a form of communication that was special to him. It gave him a connectedness to Cally that he had never achieved before with another human being. It was a disturbing thing but also comforting.

He asked, "They were able to find the Commander?" Avon wasn't sure why but now that they were no longer prisoners sharing the same cell, he thought of Reya by her title again.

Cally lifted up a scanner and turned it on. She directed it towards his head. "Yes. With your information they were able to rescue her."

"Is she alright?"

"Yes, she should make a full recovery but it will take time."

Avon's eyes took on a faraway look as memories surfaced; feelings of his own torture and what it had done to him, showing him what Reya must face. He grimaced. "Yes, it will take time."

Cally could feel that Avon was thinking about something much more than physical recovery. "Perhaps you can help her?"

"I'm not the right person."

"Avon, don't you think that she will need help?"

"That's not the issue. It requires a degree of empathy I'm not capable of."

Cally said gently, "Do you really believe that you're not capable of it?" She knew he was wrong. He had shown that he was capable of it in their relationship.

"I know it."

She touched his head lightly. "But knowing a thing is not the same as believing in a thing."

He asked with a touch of cynicism, "Is that another one of your Auron sayings?"

"It comes from knowing you and from believing in you."

He looked away from her and said with stronger cynicism, "Then you must have been disappointed often."

"No. You have always surprised me by being more than anyone thought you were, even yourself." She placed her hand lightly on his chest. "It's why I have always been drawn to you."

"Then it's not possible for you to be objective."

"Why is it so important for you to be objective, Avon? To the extent that you cut out all emotions in your decisions, even about people?"

"Is that a serious question?" He couldn't believe that anyone would ask that kind of question, he would have thought it would be obvious. Of course, he had often been disappointed in humanity as a whole; the illogical and treacherous creatures that they were. But Cally was different. He wanted her to understand.

Cally had always know that for Avon, rationality and logic were paramount. He hated doing things that didn't make rational sense. He hated himself most of all when he found himself doing them. Cally knew that using logical arguments would be difficult with him in this matter. It was not an issue that was purely logical. She said, "Avon, when you came down to Terrus to offer your life in exchange for mine, was that a rational decision?"

"I know what you want me to say, Cally. I made an irrational decision, one based on sentiment. It was a moment of weakness."

Cally said, "And it cost you two years of your life and may have permanently destroyed the health of your body and mind."

In Avon's mind words came up unbidden from the well of memories. He repeated, "Sentiment breeds weakness. Let it get a hold of you and you are dead." A stray thought was bothering him, something nagging somewhere between his conscious and subconscious mind. The words echoed, ranging into the deep past. Or forward?

Cally said, "Yes, I remember that. You said that to us at Terminal, just before you went down to rescue Blake; even though you _knew_ you were walking into a trap. Were you trying to convince us? Or yourself?"

"Both instances prove my point. There was never any Blake at Terminal. I nearly lost you there and we did lose the _Liberator_. If I had not been weak, none of it would have been allowed to happen."

He was being far too rational in this discussion. Cally wanted him to see that there was more. "Let's leave Terminal for now. What about me? If you were given the chance to undo the past and relive it again, would you have come down to rescue me?"

Avon said, "I would have adopted a different plan, knowing that the one I used didn't work."

Far too rational. It was always a challenge talking to Avon about things he didn't want to talk about. Cally said, "But what if the circumstances couldn't change? What if the only choices you were given was to relive what happened or to not rescue me?"

Avon remarked, "If this was a temporal phenomenon of some kind then it would be an exceedingly strange one."

Cally said with frustration, "Avon, that's not the point." A sliver of a grin appeared at the corner of Avon's lips. She realized he was avoiding the issue by teasing her. "I'm serious."

Avon said, "You know that I would."

"But you know it's not a rational decision. You've identified it. Why would you do it again? Knowing what was in store for you?"

Avon looked into her eyes. He knew what she was after but it was hard for him to say. It was a truth he rarely admitted to anyone, and often not even to himself. Each word came out reluctantly. "Because…I…care about you."

"Then there are some instances where being objective is not the most important thing to you?"

Avon hesitated. This was an even harder idea to face but he recognized that she was right. This was the decision he made when he first went down to rescue Cally. It was the decision that had driven him on Terminal, telling the others to save themselves and abandon him at the first hint of trouble, on Albion, on Exbar, there were too many to count. Weakness all but he had chosen them. "Yes."

Chapter Twenty-Three

"The situation has changed." That statement from Argus contained a wealth of understatement. The assorted Chandarans were gathered around him and Vila in the cargo hold that was currently being used to house them. The plans to retrieve their families had taken on a different importance now that they had proof that the aliens were also involved in the coup.

One of them asked, "What are they after? Why are they here?"

Another one said, "It's obvious, they want to take over."

President Brent spoke to his people, "I'm afraid that their plans are even more dangerous than that. From what Argus has told me, this is not the first sector that the aliens have tried to take over."

Marlena added, "Chandar is the center of the Chandaran Alliance. If they gain control here, then they will be able to influence over a dozen worlds in this sector. This is no longer just about Chandar."

Argus said, "Yes, Marlena and your President are right, this concerns all of humanity. The aliens were defeated many years ago at great cost to themselves and to us. But they haven't given up. Some of them survived when their ships crashed or they got away in escape pods. They weren't able to return to their galaxy when the Federation rebuilt the defensive mine field, so they went underground, biding their time. We've just discovered recently that they weren't idle. They are still trying to take over this galaxy."

There was great stirring and concerned whispers among the Chandarans as they listened to Argus.

He continued, "Their methods are much more insidious this time. They are trying to use our own weaknesses against us by subverting some in order to take over. I don't know if they plan to cause enough chaos to destroy each sector one at a time or to use them as an army to further their own interests. All I do know is that if they are allowed to take control then humanity is doomed again. Their final goal has not changed."

The President's personal assistant, Trey, asked, "What can we do to stop them?"

President Brent said, "We can't let them take over Chandar. We have to let our people know what's happening. We have to expose the aliens."

Trey said, "But they won't listen to you anymore, sir. Not after everything that's happened."

Brent said, "But we still have to tell them somehow. We can't let the aliens take over the Alliance."

Everyone agreed with him but no one had an idea how this could be done.

Marlena said, "I would recommend that for now, as long as it is safe enough, all of you return to your families. We will find a solution but once we do, we will need voices to support us. You can provide those voices."

Brent said, "Marlena's right. Some of you wanted to continue the work that I have started. It is up to you to influence others. We need voices of dissent to show people that I'm not the only one."

For the first time, Corinne spoke up in the group, "Maybe we'll find that there are more people who feel the same way. They just haven't had the courage to say something. But if they hear other people, maybe they'll join in."

Vila thought that it was an overly optimistic idea given what he had seen of Chandaran society and from the faces of the others, they all thought so too. Everyone except Marlena and Brent. Vila thought that they were all just too polite to say so, either because she was Brent's daughter or they thought she was naïve. And of course, her father and mother would support her.

Vila said, "Corinne's right, we'll never know until we try. Even if it's just one person,"

They all indicated their agreement that there might be one.

Argus said, "Alright, if you're all agreed, we'll start sending you all down. We'll provide a secure communications channel so that you can coordinate with your President. If at any time you feel that your families are in danger, contact us. Vila, since you did such a good job at the Residence, why don't you coordinate that end of things with one of the teams while I work with President Brent and Marlena to come up with a plan regarding the aliens?"

Vila replied, "I'd love to."

**********

While Brent and Marlena talked with the Chandarans, Argus went back to the medical unit. It was already late but he wanted see Reya. He doubted if he could go back to his own room to get any rest. All three patients appeared to be sleeping when he entered, Avon on one side and Reya and Sester against the far wall..

Argus stood silently looking down at Reya's face. With the tissue regenerator, the bruises had disappeared and the swelling had gone down. Her face was still pale and her breathing thready. Reya opened her eyes and upon seeing him, a wide smile brightened her face. "Hello, handsome." Her voice was slightly slurred and her eyes were bright, almost feverish.

Argus coughed in embarrassment. "Uh, hello." She had _never_ called him that before. "How are you feeling?"

Reya said cheerfully, "I feel fine."

Argus realized it must be a result of the pain drugs. They must be very strong. He wondered if it was alright if he held her, he didn't want to hurt anything.

Reya reached up and brushed the hair from his forehead. "It's getting long."

"I haven't had much time to take care of it."

"I like it this way." She ran her fingers through his hair.

Argus took her hand and placed it over his chest and said, "Reya, I'm sorry. This should never have happened to you. "

The smile disappeared from Reya's face, replaced by soft concern. "It wasn't your fault. You have to stop blaming yourself for everything."

"If I had been there or…"

She said gently, "No one could have known what would happen."

Argus said bitterly, "Sester would have. If I had let him help instead of getting angry and sending him back to the ship…I failed you. You were right. I can't see clearly when it comes to him."

Reya sighed. "You can't blame yourself for that. It's how you feel. You couldn't help it."

Argus told her, "I don't know if I hate him more or less now because _he_ was the one who saved your life. If it weren't for him, you'd still be a prisoner. Suffering. I'm such a fool."

"Don't say that. At least you were able to overcame your feelings and you worked with him to find me."

Argus bowed his head. "For you, I would do anything."

"Even give Sester a chance?"

"I owe that to him. But…I will never completely trust him. I'm not sure if I ever can."

Reya regarded her soldier. He was a man of honour and honesty; and he loved her. "Can you hold me?"

"I'm not sure it's such a good idea. I don't want to hurt you."

"It's alright. Just be careful."

Argus lifted her up gently and sat on the bed beside her. She leaned up against him and he put his arms around her. Argus finally felt at peace.

**********

As Argus and Reya had been talking, Sester had not been asleep. He had woken when they had started speaking but didn't want to disturb them. His eyes remained closed as he listened.

He remembered the conclusion he had come to while he was helping Argus rescue Reya. She deserved someone much better than himself.

Argus and Reya loved each other deeply. Anyone listening to them could tell that. Even their tones were different when they were speaking to each other. There was a level of intimacy and love they did not share with anyone else. Argus would do anything for her, even overcome his own weaknesses. Reya deserved someone like him.

Sester accepted that now. He just wished it didn't hurt so much.

**********

Vila and Corinne were sharing a late night snack in the dining area. He had been introducing her to some of his favourite Earth foods. Her favourite so far was ice cream. It seemed that there was no Chandaran equivalent.

Vila placed a bowl in front of each of them and sat down. Each one contained several types.

Corinne said, "Oh, those look good. What flavours this time?"

Vila grinned and pointed them out in turn, "This is Baked Alaska, Caramel Chew, Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Fudge Brownie."

"They all sound so interesting." They both began to dig in.

Between sounds of enjoyment and eating, Corinne glanced at him and said, "Vila."

Vila mumbled with a mouth full of delicious Caramel Chew, "Yes?"

"Earlier today, when we were talking to the others. You didn't agree with what I said, did you? I could see it on your face."

Vila nearly choked on his Caramel Chew. He put his spoon down and looked at her. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize. You were very sweet to support me even if you didn't believe what I was saying."

"It's not that I don't believe what you were saying."

Corinne put her spoon down too. "But?"

This was the first really serious conversation they were having. Vila wasn't prepared for this at all and wished he had had some advanced warning. "Well…it's just _hard_ to believe, if you know what I mean. You told me that you've never really met people outside the Residence before. I have. They're not like your father's friends, Corinne. They're a mean and cruel lot. Shoot first and don't bother to talk first. Beat you up if you don't do what they want."

Corinne said quietly, "I do know."

The change in her voice caused Vila to look at her sharply. "You do?"

"My father's friends weren't always like the way they are now. Even my father wasn't like this at first. My mother told me that."

"She changed him?"

"Chandarans are very cruel to people they capture from Tellar, especially the women. They try to break them but my mother never did. My father was one of them but he came to respect her a great deal, though he never let on to the others. They were going to kill her but he bought her and told them that he could break her himself. Instead he took her home and healed her back to health and told the others that she broke. But he never tried to. My mother taught him many things about women and how his society was wrong about them. She said he was very stubborn but she had come to love him and he discovered that he felt the same way about her. Eventually they became bonded."

Vila said, "They sound like very special people. Your parents."

"They are. At first they tried to keep their relationship a secret but in a household, it's hard to keep that kind of secret for long. Eventually they all found out but these people all respected my father. They kept their secret. Then after awhile they all came to respect my mother too and their attitudes towards her and me, changed. Everything became much better after that."

"That's why you think that there's a chance for the others?"

"Yes. My mother says that all people have a measure of good and bad in them. You just have to work hard to find the good sometimes."

Vila said, "I wish I could believe that." He really did. But after a lifetime of seeing evil, he wasn't sure that it applied to everyone. "Corinne, you said that the Chandarans are cruel to the Tellarians, especially the women. Why's that?"

"Oh, it's because of their society. They're a matriarchy."

Vila asked with alarm, "You mean women run things?" Most of the women he'd run across were usually much better than the men he had encountered, barring Servalan, of course. But in his experience, people with power could be relied on to abuse it. He couldn't imagine that women would be much different if they were given the chance.

Corinne looked at him curiously. "Why would you think that?"

Vila's brow knitted in confusion. "Well, a matriarchy, that's the opposite of a patriarchy, isn't it? Where men run things. That's like most Federation societies. So in a matriarchy, don't women run things?"

Corinne said, "Oh, I guess that's an easy mistake to make."

"It is?" Now Vila was really confused. "Why is it?"

"It's something my mother explained to me. You have to take into account the nature of men and women. In a patriarchy, it's natural that men run things. Men have a tendency towards dominance and competition. Not all men, but a large number of them. So it's normal that in a patriarchy, the style of leadership and government reflects that nature."

That made sense to Vila. "Most worlds that we've run across are like that." There was something he didn't understand though. "Alright, what you said makes sense but if no one runs things, then how does Tellar society run?" Vila really couldn't think how any society could operate without some kind of leadership.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Vila entered the medical unit to check on his friends before his shift the next morning. He was deep in thought. The conversation with Corinne the previous night had been very interesting. He just wished that President Brent had not come looking for his daughter just as she was going to explain how a matriarchy worked.

The sight of Avon sitting on his bed, talking quietly to Cally, and Argus and Reya curled together, still asleep, filled him with warmth. It was good that they all had each other. He hoped that the possibilities that had opened up with Corinne would mean that he would have someone soon too. It was too early to tell though.

He went over to where Avon and Cally were. "How's the patient?" he asked cheerfully.

Cally glanced at Avon and said, "In much less cheerful spirits than yours this morning."

Saying that Avon was in 'less than cheerful spirits' was putting it mildly. He was very grumpy and was inclined to glare at everyone. Everything tended to irritate him and he felt that Vila's cheerful demeanour this morning was in very bad taste. On the other hand, Vila was feeling very good this morning.

Vila grinned, "Are you giving Cally a hard time again?"

Avon glared at him and asked, "How would you like one?"

"You _are_ testy this morning, aren't you? Did you get out of the wrong side of the bed?"

Avon said grumpily, "What possible relevance does that have to my current mood?"

Cally held a scanner in the direction of his head. "Avon, I need to take some readings."

Avon said, "You won't find anything."

Vila mumbled, "You can say that again."

Avon glared at him again and said in a warning tone, "Are you trying to say something?"

Vila spread his hands and said innocently, "Nooo. I wouldn't dare."

A grumbling voice said from the other side of the room, "Will you all be quiet? Reya is still sleeping."

Vila said apologetically, "Sorry."

Cally glared at both trouble makers and said, "We will endeavour to be quieter."

Reya asked sleepily, "What's all the noise?"

Argus glared at all of them and said, "It's alright, _nothing_ important. You can get some more rest."

Reya said, "I'm awake now." She tried to sit up and Argus helped her to lean against him.

Argus looked at Avon and Vila as if to say, "Now look what you've done."

Avon said, "Vila apologizes."

Vila looked offended, "Hey, I'm not the only one."

Cally almost rolled her eyes and said, "They both apologize and myself as well."

Sester opened his eyes and said, "This is highly entertaining but I missed the first part. I must have been _sleeping_. Can I get a recap?"

Argus said, "How would you like a black eye for enjoyment?"

Sester propped up on his elbows and managed a grimace and grin combination as the pain reminded him of his chest wound. "I see Avon is not the _only_ one who got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Which reminds me, what are you doing here? I don't remember _you_ being injured."

Argus grumbled, "Mind your own business."

While the two bickered, Vila asked, "Avon, have you heard of any matriarchic societies before?"

Avon and Cally looked at him as if he had said something very strange, which given their conversation so far this morning, it was.

Avon said, "I have read of them. In banned historical records."

Cally asked curiously, "Banned?"

Avon explained to her, "The Federation doesn't like its citizens to have more knowledge than they want them to have."

She asked, "And matriarchic societies qualify as such knowledge?"

"Almost anything that deals with politics or forms of government that compare more favourably than the Federation system."

Vila said, "You mean anything that might show that there are better things than the Federation?"

"Of course," said Avon.

Vila said, "I don't think I'd ever say it but there might be places even worse than the Federation. Chandar being one of them."

"For women, yes," agreed Avon.

Sester's voice intruded on their conversation, "How is it that you had access to this banned information?"

They all fell quiet and everyone looked between Sester and Avon and back again. The silence was making them all uncomfortable.

Avon finally said, "You wish the knowledge for yourself." It wasn't a question.

Sester smiled, "Of course. I already have _some_ knowledge of matriarchic societies if that's of interest to you."

Avon said coldly, "Your own _banned_ sources?"

Sester said, "A psychostrategist' resources, which I believe _is_ banned to most segments of the population."

Reya asked, "What kinds of resources are these?"

Sester gave her an easy ingenuous smile, "Unfortunately, that information is _also_ classified."

Several people around the room had speculative or thoughtful looks on their faces. Avon wondered what this man was up to and why he had just told them this. Was it to make himself seem even more useful than he was?

Vila said, "Well this is all interesting but I'm still waiting for an answer."

Avon turned back to him and asked, "Why this sudden interest?"

Vila for some reason felt uncomfortable. No one knew of his interest in Corinne yet. Or at least he didn't think so. He said, "Well, I was just showing Corinne some interesting foods that we have. In the food dispensers."

"And the topic of matriarchic societies came up?" asked Avon with a faintly amused and knowing look.

Sester decided to join in the teasing. "I would be interested in what food would provoke this kind of topic."

Vila said, "It's not that I'm interested in her or anything."

There was a slight grin of amusement at the corner of Avon's lips. "Of course not. You just developed a sudden burning interest in matriarchic societies. It must have been quite an inspired choice of food."

Vila said defensively, "Well if you must know it was ice cream. Lots of ice cream." He really had no idea why he said that.

Cally said, "That explains it."

Argus said, "I had no idea that telling you to give Corinne a tour would lead to such a serious topic as _ice cream_. I'm not sure her parents would approve."

Vila looked at each of them in turn. They were all grinning now. "Oh, I see." He could swear that he could feel his face turning red. "I mean, we haven't really _done_ anything yet."

Avon said, "Given your reputation, that's surprising."

"She's not like anyone else."

Argus said wryly, "We all say that."

The look in Avon's eyes indicated that he agreed with that statement, even though he didn't say it.

Cally's voice came into his mind, * _Do you really think that, Avon? _*

He turned slightly and thought to her, *_ Of course. You're unique. _* Then with a light ripple of amusement he added, *_ You would have to be to put up with my moods. _*

Cally projected to him, * _Is that what you call this morning? _*

*_ Perhaps you should let me know which side of the bed is the right side? _*

Cally sent to him, *_ Oh, I don't think that any side of the bed would have been the right side for you this morning. _*

Avon sent a mischievous, *_ Perhaps it's not the __**bed**__ which is the problem. _*

Cally picked up on his suddenly playful mood, * _Is this your attempt at an apology? _*

Since Avon seemed to have paused for far too long, Vila asked, "Avon?"

Avon tore his attentions away from his mental communications and said, "Matriarchic societies."

Vila said, "You still haven't told me what it is yet."

Avon asked, "And you've also not answered _my_ question. What provoked this fascinating topic of discussion?"

Vila said, "Corinne said that the Tellar Union is a matriarchy."

Avon mused, "Does she now?"

Sester said, "That's very interesting. Are you certain you heard correctly? She said a matriarchic society?"

"Yes, that's what she said. What's wrong with it?"

Sester said, "Nothing's wrong. It's just that truly matriarchic societies are almost unheard of. There are none currently."

"They are a myth," said Avon. "A fantasy of an ideal society. Humanity is not capable of such a thing."

Sester said, "You're just a cynic, Avon. There have been successful matriarchies in the ancient past. Not many but there have been."

Avon had a bare half-smile, "Let me guess, they were destroyed?"

Vila said, "Well, there's one now."

Avon said, "Corinne may be mistaken. It depends on whether she knows what one is."

Sester added, "Or whether her definition of one is the same as ours."

Vila said, "Well, I thought it was like a patriarchy but in reverse. With women running things."

Sester said, "That's an easy mistake to make."

Vila said, "That's what Corinne said." He tried to recall her words from the previous night. "She said that men and women are different. We're more dominant and competitive."

Avon said, "And that determines the style of leadership in a patriarchy."

Vila said excitedly, "That's exactly what she said."

Avon asked, "Did she say anything else?"

"Well, she was about to explain about a matriarchy but her father came in and took her away."

Avon said, "Hence your question this morning?" He looked at Sester.

Sester realized that Avon wanted him to reveal what knowledge he did possess; he took the cue. "Corinne _is_ correct that the nature of men is what determines the form of government in a male-dominant society. We are generally aggressive and competitive by nature. That is reflected in our forms of leadership and how our society is run. War is one of the natural expressions of such a competitive and aggressive state. We dominate and possess. There are greater and lesser states. We split into classes, with each having different privilege levels and each higher group thinking less of each lower group."

Vila said, "That's the Federation."

Cally remarked with dry sarcasm, "That's also the dynamic that's been displayed in this room this morning."

The men looked at her and then they looked at each other. Avon's single comment was, "Quite."

Someone cleared his throat. It was unclear who it was but the men were still looking at one another, each one aware that establishing position was a dominant part of how they interacted with each other.

Reya leaned forward a bit and asked, "I would like to know what a matriarchic society is like."

Avon responded, "From the historical records, matriarchic societies are supposedly truly egalitarian. They are balanced and peaceful societies that practice reciprocal equality in which every individual, irrespective of gender and age is treated with respect. They recognize that males and females have different strengths but all strengths are equally valued and roles are not gender dependent. They are non-violent and do not have class systems."

Sester added, "Yes. That tallies with my knowledge. Domination is unknown in matriarchic societies. They operate on cooperation and respect."

Vila said, "I agree with Avon. It sounds too good to be true. What's the catch? There has to be one."

Avon said cynically, "Supposedly there is none. Which is why it must be a myth."

Cally said, "But Corinne said that the Tellar Union is one."

Vila hovered between wanting to believe Corinne but finding it hard to because of his own none too stellar experiences with people. "Well…yes, she did. I really _want_ to believe her."

Avon remarked, "But you don't believe in humanity."

Vila said, "I mean, it sounds wonderful. If there really was a place like that,I'd _never_ want to leave."

Sester said, "Avon is wrong. There have been matriarchic or semi-matriarchic cultures in Earth's past. But because they were not aggressive or dominating, they tended to be overshadowed and did not survive much beyond the end of the old calendar."

Vila said, "I knew there was a catch."

Reya said, "Does that mean that Marlena's world is a world under siege? I can't imagine that it would do well in this region of space, not with most worlds being like Chandar."

Vila said, "Didn't they say that the Chandarans deliberately set traps to capture the Tellarians?" Now he was worried for Corinne and the people they were to be delivering to the supposedly safe haven of the Tellar Union.

Argus said, "I think we need to have a talk with Marlena."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Twenty-Five

Marlena and President Brent came into the medical unit. There were puzzled looks on their faces as they saw everyone gathered there as well. Argus came forward to greet them. He said, "Thank you for coming."

Marlena asked, "You wished to see us about something?"

Argus said, "We had some questions to ask you."

Marlena's face was friendly and open. She exuded an air of calm warmth. "I will endeavour to answer them to the best of my knowledge."

Argus's manner was also friendly but he wanted answers. "Your daughter mentioned that the Tellar Union is a matriarchy?"

"Yes, it is." Marlena's gaze was direct and penetrating as she studied Argus. She was not unaware that there was great interest in this conversation from the various people gathered in the medical unit. Ears were alert or they leaned forward slightly. Her face never lost its calm openness.

Cally noticed that Brent had become stiff and wary, uncertain of what was going on. She said to them, "Don't be concerned. This is not meant to be an inquisition."

Argus reassured them, "Cally is right. We have no negative intentions, we just have some concerns."

Marlena said, "I don't take any offense." She glanced at Brent briefly, a slight but fond smile appeared on her face. "I understand that it can be an alarming idea to some."

There was a quick flash of discomfiture on Brent's face and then a wry expression. "Not anymore."

Marlena asked, "What are your concerns?"

Argus had Avon explain what they knew about matriarchies.

Afterwards Marlena nodded. "That's a good basic understanding of the foundation of a matriarchy."

Avon said with a faint air of cynicism, "I imagine that it is a matriarchy in principle but not entirely in practice?"

Marlena turned to him. There was no hostility on Avon's face, just a man who no longer believed in much of anything other than the fallibility of the human race.

There was compassion in Marlena's eyes. "No, Avon. It is very much a matriarchy, even in practice."

Avon said with scepticism, "That's hard to believe."

Sester asked, "Assuming that it is a functional matriarchy, how did you make it work in such a hostile environment. Yours may not be an aggressive and dominating culture but that doesn't stop ones that are from attacking you or taking you over. But obviously that hasn't happened."

Argus said, "You mentioned before that the Chandarans set traps for your people in order to capture you? How do you stop them?"

There was a relaxed gentleness to Marlena's manner, a quiet peace that was more like a bulwark against a storm. She said, "There are some things you need to understand about a matriarchy. We may not be a dominating culture but that does not mean that we do not defend ourselves or are not capable of it. We are a culture of peace, we will not initiate aggressive action, but we can and we will fight if we cannot find another solution. And it may surprise you to know that we are very good at fighting, even though it is not our preferred option."

Cally asked, "So you are capable of violence."

Marlena said, "No, not of violence, defence."

"That sounds like a fine distinction," said Avon who was still sceptical.

The compassionate look that Marlena seemed to have whenever she looked at Avon was making him uncomfortable. She looked at him enquiringly and asked, "Do you not believe what I'm saying, Avon or are you afraid of being disappointed?"

Avon stared at her. "Show me a person who believes in anything and I will show you a fool."

Marlena said, "Those are harsh words."

"I'm a realist," said Avon.

The way she looked at him made Avon feel as if she could reach into his mind and know what truly motivated him. His mental and emotional walls went up even higher.

Cally looked over at Avon with a worried question in her eyes but he was too focused on his interaction with Marlena.

Marlena said gently, "You're a man who has been hurt too much to be able to believe."

Avon said coldly, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Marlena glanced at Cally and then she said to Avon, "My apologies. It makes you uncomfortable to speak of this."

Avon's body tensed. "You are mistaken. It has no significance."

Marlena said, "We will return to the main topic then."

The tension seemed to have be released from the room as she said this. Everyone exhaled a breath that they hadn't realized they had been holding during the near confrontation.

Sester asked, "What did you mean when you said that the Tellarians are capable of defence but not violence. I agree with Avon, it does appear to be a fine distinction."

Reya spoke up, "Defensive fighting is different from offensive fighting."

Marlena turned to her and acknowledged, "Yes. The way that you fought is a very good example."

Argus said, "It's the difference between initiating violence and just reacting to it?"

Marlena smiled, "Not only that. We do not strike to kill, only to disable or incapacitate."

For a man of war and violence, the idea of leaving an enemy alive so that he could continue to hurt you was an alien one. Argus said, "You are giving yourself a great disadvantage. I can't see how you could possibly survive. People who are aggressive tend to prey on the weak, they won't let you go. It's in their nature. You yourself have said that the Chandarans deliberately target your people."

Marlena's eyes swept the room slowly. There was a look of appreciation on her face. "Thank you for being concerned for Tellar but you needn't be. We are very capable of taking care of ourselves. We have survived and flourished for over a millennium while worlds have fallen around us."

Reya asked, "You said that your people are very good at fighting?"

When Marlena regarded Reya, there was a look of soft respect in her eyes. "You wish to know _how_ we have survived?"

"Yes."

Marlena said with understanding, "You want to believe that there is another way besides violence, even in this day and age?" She looked at all of them again. Attention was high in this room and everyone's eyes were fixed on her, almost without blinking, as if they were afraid they might miss something if they did.

She continued with care. "As I had indicated earlier, we are very good at fighting. Every citizen of Tellar is responsible for the defence of Tellar. We are all taught from a very young age on fighting techniques and throughout our lives we coordinate into defensive units for periodic training and practice. But we are truly defensive and not offensive. Our focus is to protect only."

Sester pointed out, "That's still not enough to prevent you from being wiped out."

Marlena said, "You're right. It's not."

Cally said, "Then there must be something else."

"Yes, there is. In Tellar culture, there is great importance attached to the advancement of knowledge and understanding."

Sester nodded. "You have developed superior scientific and technical abilities? Enough to protect yourselves?"

Marlena said, "Yes. Our defensive technology as well as our weapons technology is far advanced to anyone in this sector. They cannot touch us."

Avon had been silent since the almost confrontation between them but now he spoke, "Unless they set a trap?"

Marlena faced him. "Yes. It's the only way they can defeat us. They know that we help those in need so they deliberately fake distress calls or urgent situations."

Sester had been watching Marlena closely as she interacted with them and he had been listening carefully. Marlena's tone made him ask, "You _deliberately_ seek out people in need?"

Marlena inclined her head in acknowledgement. "Yes. That is one of our mandates in this region. There are constant wars and fighting between the various alliances and worlds. In the aftermath of battles, we come to the assistance of those who are injured or require help."

Avon asked, "Why? I would hardly think that they would thank you or that they would see you more favourably."

Marlena turned to face him again, her eyes searched his face. "Is that the reason why you would help Cally if she needed your help?"

Avon bristled. "_They_ are _not_ Cally. The situation is completely different."

Her eyes held his with understanding and warm compassion, as if she wanted to still his defensiveness. "The situation is different, but not the reasoning. When you help those you care about, it is not because you want or expect anything. You do it because you care."

Avon scoffed, "You _care_ about the Chandarans, even after all of the things they _must_ have done to you? They would see you all destroyed if they could."

"Yes, I know. It is because of that, that they _need_ our help the most. Tellarians value life, regardless of who's it is. It is one of the foundations of a matriarchy. That is why I chose to stay here even though I had an opportunity to escape."

Brent had been quiet until now. "That's true. I wanted to return Marlena to her own people but she chose to stay because she thought she might be able to do some good here." He looked at her. "She thought I was worth saving."

There was a soft smile of affection on Marlena's face as she said, "You were always worth saving."

Reya told her, "We thought that we might need to protect you."

Cally finished for her, "But it appears that we may need your help more than you would ever need ours. This galaxy needs more people like yours."

Marlena said, "We all have much to learn from each other. You have been fighting the darkness as much as we have. You take more proactive action."

Reya said, "You mean, more offensive action?"

Marlena smiled, "Unfortunately in our culture, we are not inclined to take such direct actions."

Sester said, "If you did, it would be a fundamental change that would eventually destroy it?"

Marlena said, "No. That is not the reason. We have in the past taken offensive actions. But it is rare and it only after great deliberation and care. The Council of Mothers…"

Vila had also been keeping quiet until now. "Council of Mothers?"

Marlena turned to him for the first time. For some reason, the way she looked at him, with intensity and curiosity, Vila felt almost naked. Which really was very awkward since she was Corinne's mother.

Marlena said, "Yes. There is one imbalance in a matriarchy."

Avon's lips curled when she said this. Cynicism emanated from him even though he had not said anything.

Marlena continued, "It's a regrettable but unavoidable fact that males are more inclined towards aggression. Tellarian society was not always a matriarchy. Violence and war nearly destroyed us. We were on the verge of extinction because of our own actions and there were very few men left. When you are faced with the survival of your race, some things no longer seem as important. At least, not if you want to continue surviving."

Reya asked, "What did you do?"

"We re-evaluated our society."

Avon's eyes narrowed. "You took a rational approach?"

Marlena directed a warm smile towards him. "Yes, Avon. We may have been a violent society but we were also an intellectual one. We analyzed our own worlds and how they worked. Or rather, how they didn't work. We knew that if things did not change, we would be destroyed within one generation, two at the most. There was a fact that could not be ignored when studying the nature of violence, that males are more predisposed to it than females. In the commission of capital crimes, the vast majority are committed by men. In the order of five to one between males and females. Seven to one in some cases. In non-capital crimes, the percentages drop but males still commit them at the rate of three to one. This was something that we could not ignore."

Avon asked, "So you took power away from the men. Which was much easier since, as you said, there were few men left."

Marlena said, "It may be hard for you to believe, Avon, but that is not the nature of a matriarchy. For the first time, because there were considerably more females than males, we finally had a say in the running and direction of our society. We chose balance. We recognized that the strengths of both men and women were required in order to survive. As we were in such dire straits, the men also recognized this. They couldn't deny it since violence, instigated by their aggression and pride, was about to destroy our people. We had a vote and it was decided that for the sake of survival, our society had to change. We chose balance and the honouring of life. Cooperation rather than competition. Both men _and_ women chose this. In order to save our existence."

Vila asked, "But you said there was one imbalance? The Council of Mothers?"

Marlena gave him a warm smile. "Yes, Vila. Because of the nature of males, we recognized that we needed a group that would safeguard our newfound society. In all matters regarding offensive actions, such as going to war or anything which involves violence or the harming of life, the Council of Mothers have the final say. The Council also has the right to remove any leader if they do something which is deemed harmful and unnecessary. In all other things there is a balance between males and females, young and old. Only in this one thing there is not."

Reya asked, "This society works?"

Marlena said, "Yes, Reya. We have not had war in over five hundred years. After awhile, it became part of our nature and our society to seek non-violent solutions for all things."

Sester said, "When you were captured, you saw a non-violent opportunity. That is why you decided to stayed." It was not a question.

Marlena nodded her head in acknowledgement. "You are perceptive."

Argus noticed that Reya was deep in thought. He asked her, "Reya, what are you thinking?"

"I want to see this society."

Argus said, "We're going to. We'll be going there."

She turned towards him, "I want to _really_ see it."

"Why?"

"My brother gave me a planet. I'd never really thought about it before other than as a gift and an administrative responsibility."

Argus sounded sceptical, "You're thinking of changing it into a matriarchy? I doubt if it'll work. From the sounds of it, people have to want it this type of society. You can't force it on them. How are you going to make it work?"

"That's why I want to talk to the Tellarians. They specialize in non-violent solutions. If I could change even a few things, or introduce some new ideas, I think it would be worth it."

Marlena said to her, "You are welcome to our help, Reya Reeve."

Chapter Twenty-Six

Vila had become increasingly thoughtful as Marlena told them how Tellarian society worked. Afterwards he stayed to talk to Avon, at least that was the idea, but he hadn't said anything yet. Avon also seemed deep in thought as he sat leaning back on the bed, his arms crossed over his chest.

Avon remarked, "Don't you have a shift to attend to?"

Vila seemed startled at the question as he looked up from staring at the edge of Avon's bed. "Oh. Yes."

"Well?"

Vila was actually late for his shift right now but he hovered between rushing off and wanting to talk. "Avon, do you think it's real? Do you think a society like that really exists?"

There was no expression on Avon's face, which wasn't surprising, just an impassive, "Marlena appears to think so."

"But what do _you_ think?"

Avon asked, "Why does it matter?"

Cally, who was readying some items for Avon's daily physical rehabilitation session, projected into his mind, * _Avon, talk to him. _*

He tilted his head towards her. *_ Why is this important? _*

* _It appears to be important to Vila. He knows that he's going to be late but he still wishes to talk. And he is not asking me, he is asking you. _*

Avon glanced at her and then at Vila. There was an intent and serious look on Vila's face.

He asked, *_ Why me? _*

She sent him a light wave of encouragement. * _Perhaps it's because you're his friend and he respects what you think. _*

Avon thought to her, *_ You're patronizing me. _*

Cally asked, * _Are you still in a bad mood this morning? _*

* _Are you going to give me a lecture on the mechanics of friendship? _*

Cally sent him a note of gentle concern. *_ What's really bothering you? _*

*_ Nothing is 'bothering' me. _*

*_ Are you not happy about what we talked about yesterday? I didn't mean to push you that hard. *_

This time Avon stared at her.

When he didn't say anything, Cally said, * _That's it, isn't it? You don't like being pushed. Even when it's me. _*

Avon didn't understand why but he had stab of panic; he grabbed her hand and said, "No." Even though she was right that it had been bothering him, Avon had not wanted to admit it. He had been struggling between his own need for independence and privacy and the awareness that their relationship needed him to open up to her. She was important to him; she deserved someone better than he was. But since she insisted on forming these bonds with him against all reason, he wanted to give her as much as he was capable of.

Vila had been waiting for Avon's response but had recognized when he was 'talking' with Cally. At Avon's actions, he said with disappointment, "You're busy. With something more important. I'll…I have to be on the flight deck now anyway." He turned to go.

Avon grabbed Vila's wrist. The panic increased as he hung onto both of them. Vila was a friend. They had fought for this relationship in the face of what Servalan had wanted to turn them into. Vila was a friend of choice, not of necessity or circumstance. There was an opportunity here, Vila had sought him out. He couldn't lose this, he could not fail.

Avon's mind struggled with opposing forces. Most of his life had been spent pushing people away, making sure they could never hurt him. It was the way he dealt with people; the way he faced difficult human interactions. It was a way that was comfortable and familiar. He did it without thinking about it.

But he had made a decision. He had chosen what was important to him. He had made a commitment, a promise to himself, for them.

He could _feel_ the struggle. Strong, overwhelming emotions breaking through, making it impossible for him to think.

Where was his emotional control? Where was the ability to push down those feelings that overrode rational thought? He couldn't even think about that, all he could do was hang onto hands that belonged to people he did not want to lose. This was the only thought that was clear enough to make him act. He held onto them, his hands gripping tighter, unaware he was causing pain.

It happened so fast that it took Cally by surprise. Avon's eyes were no longer focused and his breathing had quickened in stress.

She shook him by the shoulder. "Avon! Look at me! Avon!" There was no response.

Vila tried to loosen Avon's hand from his wrist. He was sure it was starting to cut off circulation. "Avon, let go of me! Cally, what's wrong with him?"

Cally quickly reached across to the table beside the bed and opened a drawer. She took out one of the bio-injectors and applied it to Avon's neck. Avon slumped forward into her waiting arms, his grip on them loosened and let go. Cally carefully lowered him back onto the bed.

Rubbing his sore wrist, Vila asked worriedly, "What happened to him?"

"It was too much for his mind to handle." She checked Avon's vital signs on the monitor.

"But I just asked him what he thought about what Marlena said."

"It wasn't that."

"I could tell the two of you were talking but I didn't want to say anything."

"Yes, it was partially that. There were other things. He cannot be pushed on too many things that can cause a strong emotional response. Not at the same time. Normally he's able to control it but he can't anymore, not all the time. He's not used to it and they overwhelm him, like it did just now. We were talking about something yesterday and it was still bothering him this morning. Earlier Marlena said something that touched a little too deeply. Then I challenged him just now and you tried to reach him on a personal level. It was too much emotion for him to be able to handle at once. He couldn't control it or push it down."

Vila put his hand on Avon's arm in sympathy. Something he would not dare to do if Avon was awake' for fear of being glared at. "He does care about us, doesn't he?"

"How did you conclude that?"

"Well, he wouldn't have a strong emotional response if he didn't, would he?"

A brief smile appeared on Cally's worried face. "You're right."

"Will he ever be…" Vila paused and thought for a moment. "I was going to say 'himself' but I'm not sure if we want that. I mean, like you said, he used to be able to push down his emotions and control them. Then they wouldn't bother him and he could think. But it wasn't really a good thing, was it? Not that I want him like this; this would be horrible. He needs his mind and we do too. Couldn't we find something…in the middle?"

Cally rested a hand on Avon's chest, feeling it rise and fall in a calmer rhythm. "Yes, it would be best for everyone and for him." She looked at Vila. "But it has to be something he wants. I will not force him and _neither_ will you."

"I wasn't thinking of _that_. But it would be nice. I like this Avon. I mean not when he's like this. I don't want that. But this one…"

"Is more human?"

Vila knew that he should be on the flight deck now but he couldn't leave yet. "That isn't it. I suppose I used to say that. I didn't mean it. I mean, I did but not really if you know what I mean. He's always had it in him but he never showed it much."

"It would be nice."

Vila said, "I'd settle for just a little more. You probably don't have to worry. You're like Anna for him, he'd do anything for you."

"Not just for me. Avon knows that he can't afford not to anymore but old behaviour patterns are hard to break. The part of him that found it necessary to close himself off is still there. You can help him, Vila. We all can. Show him that it _is_ worth it. Make it a less threatening thing for him. I failed. I pushed him harder than I should have and backed him into corner. I should never have done that. If it was just yesterday, it may have been alright but coupled with everything else this morning…I shouldn't have kept pushing him."

"Don't blame yourself, Cally. You just want the best for him."

"Yes. But just because I think its best doesn't give me the right to push him into it. I don't want our relationship to be like that."

"He's lucky to have you."

"I feel the same way about him."

Vila grinned, "Well, you're biased, aren't you?"

"Aren't you?"

"You know what Avon would say."

"It's not rational?"

They both smiled.

**********

Vila finally made it to the flight deck and the long-suffering sergeant. The man didn't say anything, just nodded to Vila's apology and offer to take the man's next shift.

Vila began his shift like all of this other ones, boring status reports on all the ship's systems. Something Argus always insisted on. He got Zen started on it as he plopped himself down on the couch and made himself comfortable for more boredom.

After Zen finished and Vila congratulated no one in general for helping him to stay awake, his mind wandered. He reflected on everything that had happened the last twenty-four hours. There were a lot of serious things to think about. Most of them fairly pleasant.

A feminine voice disturbed his reveries. "Can I come in?"

Vila knew who it was the moment she spoke. He stood up and waved Corinne over, like a gentleman inviting a woman for a dance. He said with a friendly smile, "You can come in any time."

Corinne asked as she hesitated before sitting down, "Am I disturbing you?"

"You always disturb me. But in a good way." He gestured to a seat that was close to his, but not too close. He didn't want to scare her. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Corinne had light hazel eyes and they were staring right at him. She asked with earnestness, "Do you like me?"

Vila fell off the couch. "I…what?" There was a stunned look on his face.

Corinne immediately tried to help him up. Her face was full of worry and concern as Vila moved like he suddenly had two left feet and arms that didn't fit on right. It was sort of embarrassing for someone who prided himself on his dexterity. And this was someone whom he wanted very much to impress.

When Vila finally regained his seating, Corinne asked, "Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to. If you don't like me, it's alright, you can tell me."

Vila stammered out, "It's not that I don't like you. I do but…I mean there are no buts about it. I _do_ _like_ you. You just surprised me is all. I wasn't expecting it."

"I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. Mother said that it's always best to be straight-forward." She sat down beside him.

Vila was nervous, he wondered if the next words out of her mouth would be a proposal of engagement or if they were just going to jump right into the bonding. They hadn't even been on a date yet. Or kissed. Or anything _else_. They'd just had _ice cream_ yesterday. His voice was higher in pitch with his next question. "You…asked your mother?"

"No. Do you think I should have? I don't know much about these things. My mother tells me sometimes about her home world. It sounds wonderful. I've always wondered what it would be like to have a world where there isn't so much hate." There was wistful longing in her voice .

Vila had an irresistible impulse to hug her and tell her that not all places were like Chandar, but he discovered to his own surprise, that he resisted the hugging part. With the way she was, she probably wouldn't mind but Vila found that he minded for her. She was someone who was very inexperienced about the ways of men and women. He wanted to take things slowly. He said, "There are many places that aren't like Chandar. Not to say that they don't have hate, but they have much less. And there's your mother's world. It…sounds like a wonderful place."

Corinne's head tilted a bit as she studied his barest reaction. "Don't you think that there is such a place?"

"I'd _like_ to believe it. But, to be honest, I find it hard to. It sounds too good to be true."

Corinne said, "I'd like to too but growing up here, sometimes it's hard to believe. Vila, do you think it's possible to have a planet full of people who live peacefully with each other?"

It was something Vila had wanted to discuss with Avon. He wasn't sure why he wanted to now. Knowing the cynical Avon, he probably wouldn't believe it, even if he saw it.

_You're a man who has been hurt too much to be able to believe._

Marlena had said that to Avon this morning and he had not reacted very well to it. Vila wondered if there was something to it.

He said to Corinne, "I'd like to believe your mother."

"So would I."

He asked, "Does your mother know that you don't believe her?"

"Yes, we have discussed it. It's not that I don't believe her. I know she would never lie to me."

Avon's sentence the previous night echoed in Vila's mind. " But you don't believe in humanity."

"I know it sounds cynical." From the look on her face, she felt that this was a bad thing.

"You're just being realistic."

"Mother said not to worry about it. It may be hard to see the good in people sometimes but if I keep looking and don't give up, I will find it eventually. That's why I'm glad you're here. And your friends. I don't have to look very hard with you."

Vila felt uncomfortable. "I'm not the best person in the world, Corinne."

"I know. I'm not idealizing you, if that's what you're worried about. I'm being honest. With many of the people on Chandar, it's hard to see the good sometimes, but not with you. Maybe you don't see the good in yourself, I wish you did. You're a very nice person."

"Maybe compared to the people here."

"Not just because of that. One day I hope you'll see it too. Why don't you kiss me?"

"Eh?" Vila wasn't sure what he had heard. There was a confused look on his face.

Corinne leaned towards him. "Isn't this what you've wanted?"

"Yes, but…" The rest of his words were lost as their lips touched and he kissed her.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Delivering the Chandaran folks back down to the planet was not going to be easy. Tensions were still high planet-side. Regular monitoring of communications channels had revealed that various interest groups were jostling for power and position. Not exactly the safest of situations.

It had to be done carefully, safely and with as little attention as possible.

Thelis, President Brent's former second and one of the masterminds of the coup was currently in control. There were noises that he was about to declare himself president. No one seemed to know for certain.

There were other rumours as well. Ones about the mysterious disappearance of the infamous new Champion of Chandar. Some said she was dead. Others said she never existed and was a computer-generated hoax. Still others said it was a conspiracy by the Tellar Union. Some said that Reya was really a man in disguise, surgically-altered to fool everyone. Still others spoke of genetic experiments.

No matter what flavour the rumours took, they all had one thing in common; no one wanted to believe that a woman had become a Champion of Chandar. They were certain that no woman could possibly do what Reya had been capable of doing. Anyone who could provide comforting proof was given their day on the Alliance viz casts.

At times, people seemed far more interested in these rumours than the current political upheaval. Most likely because treacherous and murderous politics was not an uncommon thing in Chandaran society.

Vila had the Chandarans on the ship separated into groups by location. The first assemblage was gathered in the teleport room and flowed out into the corridor. A team of soldiers that had been with him at the Presidential Residence, waited on the teleport pad. Vila was checking the first set of coordinates with one of the military engineers on teleport duty.

All farewells and best wishes had been given already in the cargo bay. There was no space in the crowded teleport room and the corridor outside for anyone except those who needed to be there.

There were anxious but excited faces. No one knew what to expect but they all hoped that their families were alright. There was sadness because some of them never expected to see each other again.

The crowd parted and Corinne entered hesitantly, she had one of the _Justice's_ pistols strapped around her waist. She was also dressed in masculine attire and had a wisp of a beard on her face.

Vila immediately went over to her and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Corinne said, "I want to help."

Vila looked around in vain for a quieter corner so they could talk privately. He settled for backing into a corner and facing towards the wall. "I don't want you to go down. This could be dangerous." His voice was concerned. All he could think of was the kiss they shared on the flight deck. It had been brief but very memorable. Of course, Corinne's father had chosen to come looking for her at that moment. The man did have the worst timing, or perhaps the best, depending on what his perspective was. Vila wasn't about to broach _that_ topic yet.

Fortunately they had broken off the kiss before he came in. President Brent did seem to stare at him for quite a long time before he took Corinne away. But that may have just been his imagination.

Corinne's voice was grave and there was a hint of steel in it, not unlike her mother's. "But you're going. Cally is. All of the soldiers are. I've never had the opportunity to do something like this for someone else. I want to, Vila. I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me. I can fight and handle weapons. I won't be a liability."

"I didn't say you were going to be a liability." Vila was torn, he didn't want her to go and at the same time, he didn't want to hurt her feelings. He could see that this was important to her but she was becoming important to him too. Vila did not want to see her get hurt.

For some reason, his mind went to Argus and Reya. Perhaps because those two had a relationship that he wished he could have some day. Not the part about Argus putting his foot in his mouth all the time around Reya, but the other things. He remembered Argus's reaction when Reya was hurt. He could see that it tore him apart. But there was something else he had learned watching the two of them interact. Argus would never refuse Reya the ability to chose her own path. He loved her enough to bear the pain of her decisions when she chose them, even if he didn't want her to make them. It was because of the level of respect he had for her. It was the degree of freedom they gave to each other. They were truly equals who loved one another as equals. Vila had never seen a relationship like that before, he had always envied them that.

Corinne said, "I appreciate you protecting me but you don't have to."

"Your parents agree to this?"

"They're concerned but they know I must do this. It's important to me. And they trust you and your team."

Vila hadn't really thought seriously about a relationship until now. He'd never had anyone to think about in this way. There had been Kerril but memories of her filled him with regret. He had made a mistake with Kerril, he had only found it in himself to say that he liked her, more than anyone he had known. She had had the courage to say that she loved him.

In the end he showed her how he felt by letting her go while he stayed behind with Bayban. There were many days he wished he had gone with her, or at least told her that he had felt the same way. He had made a mistake then. Vila was determined not to make one now.

In a situation like they were going into, it was difficult. His instinct was to protect Corinne and keep her out of harm's way. But he didn't want to take away her right to make decisions about her own life. She'd had more than enough of that in this society. It was a place where women had no rights and everything was taken from them, even the right to be a human being.

Corinne's face was anxious and resolute and she looked at him expectantly and hopefully.

Vila knew what he must do. "Be careful and stay with me. Let the soldiers do most of the work. They're trained for it."

Corinne's face face brightened into a smile. "Thank you, Vila."

Cally squeezed through into the crowded teleport room. "Sorry, I'm late. I was delayed." She was also dressed in the masculine attire common to the planet but she had a full beard on.

Vila asked worriedly, "Is it Avon again?"

Cally adjusted the medical bag over her shoulder and checked her pistol. Her voice was tight and she was trying to avoid his eyes as she said, "Yes."

Vila said, "Maybe you shouldn't be coming with us. You should stay and take care of Avon."

"He wanted me to come. He said this was more important."

Vila said, "Alright. We'll make this quick."

Vila and Cally joined the soldiers on the teleport pad. When Corinne stepped up behind Vila, Cally glanced at him with a question.

He responded, "It's alright, she's coming with us."

Cally nodded.

Vila told the assembled Chandarans, "Right we're going down first. We'll send word if it's safe. Put us down."

**********

After Cally reluctantly left Avon in order to go help the Chandarans, Reya and Sester were deep in thought on their side of the medical unit. Avon was unconscious again, knocked out by sedatives. Cally's attempt to bring him around had not been pleasant for any of them, especially not Avon.

Both Reya and Sester were watching Avon's sleeping form. Reya remarked sadly, "He's not doing very well, is he?"

There was a long pause before Sester replied, "No. He's not. It's getting worse. The loss of control is almost complete."

"Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"I can guess."

Reya turned to Sester. "Did you have something to do with this?"

Sester didn't answer her but there was a pained look on his face. He got up slowly and slid off the bed, ignoring the pain from his chest wound.

Reya asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to help." Sester felt weak as he stood by the bed and hung onto it for support. He turned to look at her. "You asked if I had anything to do with this. Yes, I did. Indirectly. I didn't do the actual damage, that was left to the specialists, but I was responsible for it."

"I don't understand how you could do this to someone."

"Don't you? You know very well what cruelty human beings are capable of. You just don't want to believe it of me."

Reya asked, "Did you _want_ to do this to him?"

Sester smiled wryly. "You want to know if I had a choice? I would like to say that I didn't but that would be a lie. It wasn't even a matter of if I wanted to do it or not. That never entered into the equation. It never entered _my mind_. I was there to break Avon and that is what I did, by any means necessary. Most of it not very pleasant or humane." He looked directly into her eyes and said, "I didn't see him as human then. Psychostrategists don't see people; we only see puppets to be manipulated. We don't react to other people's pain and suffering on a personal level. They are only useful symptoms to be used and studied."

"But you don't risk your life to help a puppet to escape."

Sester turned his head to look at Avon again. "That's true."

"And you don't see him as a puppet now."

"No. I don't." Sester hadn't really thought about when or why he started seeing Avon differently; which was odd for him. Out of habit and because of his profession, he had a tendency to analyze everything. "At first I learned to respect him and then at some point, during his treatments, I began to see him as human. I'm not even sure why."

_Why did I?__ What made him different from all the others? _Avon _was_ highly intelligent but that was not enough.

Reya had been studying Sester as he talked. There was an open honesty about him that was hard to resist. He could be a very likable man, even when he wasn't trying. She asked, "Do you see _me_ as a puppet?"

Sester looked at her sharply. He'd never considered that before. "You know that I don't. I don't think I ever did." He gave her an easy smile, "And if you ask me why, I couldn't explain that to you either."

Reya didn't say anything for a few moments.

Sester said, "I'll be right back." He moved carefully away from the bed, mindful of the pain and the general weakness he was feeling.

She asked, "What are you going to do?"

"I told you. I'm going to help Avon." Sester stopped by Avon's bed in order to catch his breath. He looked down at the unconscious man. He'd never had much use for feelings of regret. He'd never entertained them before until he met Avon and now he regretted almost everything.

He opened up the drawer that Cally used to store the bio-injectors she used for Avon. Taking each one out, he found the one he wanted. This one contained the drugs patterned after the ones at the Detention Centre. Checking the indicator panel on the side, it was as he had feared. There were only four. He had suspected as much.

Sester was very observant about many things. He couldn't help it; he did it without thinking about it. One of the things he had observed was the daily injections Avon received from Cally. Sester knew the ones that had been used for him at the Detention Centre. He had warned Cally the dangers of removing most of them from Avon's system. It was obvious that she hadn't taken him seriously.

Sester understood why she had done it. He had proof in his hands what she had done and why. Two were the necessary ones used to maintain the physical systems that had been virtually destroyed. The other two were the ones to prevent the nightmares: one used during the day and the other was the sedative mixture. She had not used the other ones that regulated the operation of his mind.

It was not surprising that she would be opposed to giving those to Avon. Controlling someone's mind would have been abhorrent to her. It was a decision based on sentiment and not rationality.

The fact was that the control was needed. Avon's mind could no longer function on its own; not with what had been done to it. The steady deterioration should have told them that. It wasn't just a matter of dealing with the emotional and psychological trauma brought about by the torture and mind manipulation. What was done to Avon went far beyond that.

These people had no idea. He doubted if Cally understood everything in the files that he had given to her. She wasn't a medical specialist, barely more than a field medic, even though he knew that she was studying to become a doctor.

Avon had received a great shock on seeing Grant again. It had brought back the old memories and the horrific nightmares about Anna. Servalan's machinations had pushed Avon to the brink. She didn't know that Avon no longer had the ability to handle it. Sester wasn't aware until now that Cally had not followed his advice about the drugs.

Avon had seemed to have been handling things, but Sester realized that he should have known. He shouldn't have assumed. It was his error. The strength of Avon's mind had been able to hold back the results of the deterioration until now. Now things were getting desperate. For a man who was use to such tight emotional control, being flooded with an uncontrollable tide of almost overwhelming emotions would be horrible.

Sester had brought a full set of drug supplies from the Detention Centre and given them to Cally. He hoped that she was still keeping them somewhere. He couldn't imagine that she would have thrown it away. She would have kept it just in case. Unfortunately, no one seemed to realize that the 'just in case' situation was now. He had to find them.

**********

The avenue was quiet. So quiet that it almost seemed unnatural. Or at least Vila thought so as he and his team watched the object of their attentions, a residence building just down the block. Of course, it could just be his natural nervousness but he didn't want to take any chances.

"What are we doing?" whispered Corinne.

Vila replied, "We're waiting."

Corinne was getting impatient. He imagined that when she came down with them that she thought there would be more to do. "I can see that, but why?"

In Vila's reckoning, the less there was to do, the better. That meant you weren't rushing about trying not to get shot because you had done something stupid. He and Avon had that in common. Neither of them minded doing things, even dangerous things at times, but there was no need to make them more dangerous than they were. You only had one life; you might as well not throw it away because you couldn't afford to think first.

Vila said patiently, "I want to make sure it's safe. Cally, do you feel anything? Any danger? Anyone with designs on us."

Cally had her eyes closed and had been opening up her perceptions of the life around them. "Not that I can tell. We're too far away for me to get anything other than very vague impressions."

He asked her, "Anything vague and unfriendly?"

"This is Chandar, Vila. It would be unusual if I didn't get unfriendly impressions." She scratched the beard. It seemed to irritate her skin.

"Well, that's no good. How would we know if it's regular unfriendly or 'us' unfriendly?"

"We don't. Not unless we get closer."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." This shortcut to avoiding danger was not proving very short. They were going to have to risk getting closer. Well, at least Corinne might be happier that they were going to do something finally, even if it was only to move closer to the building.

He said to the gathered soldiers, "Sergeant, get the men to go around the building. See if they can spot anything. Not too close. We don't want to let anyone know in case they _are_ watching the building."

The sergeant acknowledged the orders and moved the team out.

Vila said to Cally and Corinne. "Let's get a little closer."

**********

Sester stared down at the small box he had found. This was not the full supply he had given to Cally. They were just samples, one of each drug that he had brought back with him. She had kept these for analysis. He couldn't find the rest of it and he had searched the entire medical unit.

Sester was tired as he looked down on the unconscious man. One dose of each. Just enough to bring Avon's mind under control again. But then what? This deterioration was progressive and irreversible without specialized surgery. Servalan's people were the only ones who knew what had been done and how to fix it. If it could be fixed that was. He suspected that some of it wasn't. Servalan and her people wouldn't have cared to return Avon to his original state. She wanted him this way; hovering between a half-life or one controlled by her.

Sester's hand tightened around the box in anger and the pain of guilt. He had been just as responsible for this as she was. There was only one way to fix this but Avon would never agree to it. In truth, Sester didn't trust Servalan either. She couldn't be trusted to let Avon go if she got her hands on him again.

Just one dose. Enough for Avon to make his peace and to do the things he needed to do before his mind descended into madness. Sester wanted to give it to Avon now. He wanted to talk to him. He didn't expect forgiveness, he did not want Avon to hate him less, but he wanted to say he was sorry.

It was a selfish desire, the drugs should be saved for when Cally and Vila got back. Avon needed time with people he loved more than apologies from enemies whom he could never forgive, who didn't deserve to be forgiven. Sester sighed and put the box down on the table beside Avon's bed. He went back to his own resting place and wearily climbed back onto the bed.

Reya had been watching him the whole time, wondering what he was up to, wishing she knew what he was thinking. She could see his increasing weariness and almost a sense of desperation as he looked through the medical unit. He was favouring the side of his body that was injured, it was obviously bothering him. Sester wouldn't tell her what he was looking for but it seemed he had found it in the end. It didn't seem to fill him with happiness. He seemed depressed and even more tired when he came back, his hand pressing against his chest where the wound was.

She asked with concern, "Are you alright? Did you find something to help Avon?"

Sester leaned back against the head of the bed. There was a hard set to his eyes as he answered her. "I _will_ find something. I'm _not_ going to let him die."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The first group of Chandarans was delivered back down to the planet without incident. All-in-all it was very anti-climactic. As they stepped off the teleport platform, Corinne had a disappointed look on her face. She unstrapped the belt from her waist and let it hang by her side.

Vila called up to the flight deck to report success while the teleport operator readied another set of coordinates. The next group of Chandarans were already arriving. Soon it would be crowded again.

Vila asked, "Are you alright, Corinne?"

She said in a despondent voice, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

Despite her words, she still didn't sound very happy. "Yes, I'm fine."

Cally said, "Vila, I'm going to check on Avon. I'll be back before you go down."

Vila acknowledged her. "Right. I hope he's..." Cally had already rushed off before he finished his sentence. More Chandarans began to arrive and Vila greeted them.

Corinne was pacing slowly between the pad and the teleport controls station. She sighed.

Vila asked her, "Are you sure you're alright?"

She looked over at him and gave a brief smile. "Yes. Don't mind me, Vila. I just wished that I could be of more help. All of you have something to do but it just feels like I'm there to stay out of everyone's way."

Vila didn't know how to respond to that. Actually he was afraid to say that 'staying out of danger' was the role he had really assigned her.

Corinne said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be complaining. You were very nice to let me come down with you."

Vila felt rotten. He had made Corinne feel useless and he hadn't meant to. All of his life people had tried to make him believe that Deltas were useless and worthless, only good enough to be used by people much better than they were. He never meant to make Corinne feel that way.

He was very apologetic when he said, "You're not useless, Corinne. I'm sorry if I made you feel like that."

Corinne sounded even more apologetic now. "No, it's not your fault. I don't have any experience and I _am_ a liability. I shouldn't have insisted on going down with you. I just…wanted to help."

Vila knew he had to fix this. "You're not a liability."

"You're just being nice because you like me."

"It's not just because I like you. But, you're right, you don't have any experience and I wanted to make sure that you didn't get hurt. I'll tell you what. After this mission is over, you can train with us."

Vila thought that for once he might actually enjoy one of Argus's training sessions. He wondered how long he should wait before asking for another one.

The unhappiness disappeared from Corinne's face. "Really? Then next time you can give me something to do?"

"Yes. I promise."

The second Chandaran group was filling up the teleport room. The time for personal conversations was over.

**********

Cally rushed into the medical unit to check on Avon. She was surprised to find Marlena there looking at the life monitors by Avon's bed. There was a thoughtful look on the woman's face.

Marlena looked up and said, "I hope you don't mind. You're giving up your time helping the others. I thought the least I could do was to look in on your patients while you were away."

Cally said gratefully, "Thank you. I don't mind at all."

Marlena stepped aside to let Cally use the monitors. She reported, "Reya is progressing nicely. Sester seems to have caused some additional stress to his chest injury but I've applied a tissue regenerator and he should be fine."

Cally said absently, "Thank you."

"As for Avon…" Marlena had not been tending to Avon until now, Cally had. She had never seen the life readings for him before. There was a concerned look on her face.

Cally said, "I'm aware of his condition."

"What happened to him?"

Cally always found it hard to talk about what happened to Avon. "He…was a prisoner of the Federation."

A look of sadness and gentle sympathy crossed Marlena's face. "They tortured him?"

Cally's answer caught in her throat and the corner of her eyes felt wet. She knew that Avon was nearing the end but she hadn't wanted to face it. What was she doing running around helping other people? She should be here holding him, giving him comfort. She didn't want his last days to be passed in a drug-induced sleep. Cally hadn't told anyone yet because she knew that he wouldn't want her to. She knew she had to say something soon.

After Avon's last episode, when he was frozen and couldn't move as he held onto her and Vila, Cally had done another comprehensive brain scan with the _Justice's_ equipment. What she found had alarmed her and filled her with dismay. There was marked deterioration in some major areas of his brain and his wave patterns were chaotic. Madness was closing in on him. Soon his mind would shut down altogether because it could no longer cope with the stresses that were tearing him apart.

She didn't know if it was a result of the brain injury or the shock of seeing Grant again and the revelations about Anna. Avon's episodes had been increasing but it had been a steady progression. Now it seemed that he had completely collapsed. She felt helpless and afraid.

Marlena reached out with a hand and touched her gently on the arm. "I know I'm a stranger but I'm here if you need me."

Drops slid down Cally's cheeks and her head bowed. "There's nothing you can do."

"He's dying?"

Cally could only nod. She put her hand on Avon's head, gently brushing it, trying to send comfort and peace into his mind. Even in sleep, she could feel the turmoil that seeped from his unconscious mind. Chaotic emotions that seemed to leave gaping wounds of pain wherever it touched. Even the sedatives were barely working. That meant that there was nothing left that she could do for him. She rested her hand on his head, trying to reach a mind that could no longer be reached.

Marlena said, "I'm sorry."

"We knew this might happen but we didn't expect it this quickly." Her shoulders were slumped and she was bent over him.

There was a thoughtful expression on Marlena's face again. "My people might be able to help."

Cally looked up quickly at the faint offer of hope. "How?"

"The Tellar Union is advanced in many fields, including that of medicine. Even before I was captured, we were already further ahead than the Federation in some areas. It is possible that they may be able to help."

This was a glimmer of hope but was it enough of one? "He doesn't have much time."

"How long?"

"I thought it might be a week but the sedatives are no longer working. He has two days at most."

Marlena's face fell. "Even with the speed of your ship, we need twice as long. Cally, you shouldn't help us. You should be here with him."

Sester had been making his way slowly toward s them. The two women were so caught up in their concern over Avon that they didn't notice him until he was near and said, "He has longer than that."

Cally directed suspicious and unfriendly eyes towards him. "What do you know?"

Sester had a chastened look on his face. "More than I should."

Marlena looked at him with a puzzled face. She was aware that Cally had hostility towards this man.

Cally asked brusquely, "What did you mean when you said Avon has longer?"

Sester let the sincerity and concern show clearly on his face. "What you need is for Avon to regain control of his mind. You have the means to do that." He went over to the table and picked up the small box that lay unnoticed there. Sester handed it to a suspicious Cally.

She recognized it before she opened it. "These are the drugs you brought from the Detention Centre."

"Yes. Some of them should help bring his mind back under his control. There's just a single dose of each. I couldn't find the rest."

Cally had a sickening feeling. "I destroyed the rest."

Sester sighed. "I was afraid of that. You can't replicate these, not even with your ship's technology. They're too complex. You're going to have to be very careful about keeping stressors away from him. If you do that then you should have more than enough time to reach Tellar."

Cally stared at him, the hostility lessened and she said, "I should have listened to you. I should never have removed all the drugs from his system."

"That's not important now. We need to help Avon."

**********

Cally returned to the teleport room with a less heavy heart than she had before but only slightly less. There was still no solution, only a temporary reprieve that pushed back the inevitable. She couldn't wait until this Chandaran business was over with.

As she made her way through the crowded corridors and entered the teleport room, she saw Vila and Corinne speaking together. There was no cloud hanging over their heads, just light banter and an eager exploration of the other.

Cally had a sense of melancholy. She was happy for Vila but she wondered if it was meant to be a balance of sorts. Just as Vila was gaining a potential partner, she was facing losing hers. She gripped her medical bag tighter, it wouldn't do to break down into tears here. These people needed her. Avon would tell her not to let sentiment interfere with what was more important. But for her, Avon was more important.

It wasn't fair. They barely had enough time to explore each other and their relationship.

Why did she end up losing the most important people in her life? Her own people, the rebels she fought with on Saurian Major, her crewmates and now, the most important one to her on a personal basis.

_May you die alone_. It was an Auron curse but it seemed to be the theme for herlife_._

_Perhaps I'm the curse. Everyone who is involved with me ends up dying. _

Cally knew that rationally it was a silly thought but it was hard not to feel that she was a blight to everyone she cared about. She braced herself and straightened her back. They had a mission to accomplish.

**********

Argus had just directed Zen to go to the next set of coordinates when Marlena returned to the flight deck to join them.

Argus asked, "How's Avon doing?"

Marlena glanced over at her bond-mate and said, "How much has Cally told you?"

Sensing that there was something more serious going on, he leaned towards her. "She said that Avon had another episode and that it's getting worse."

Marlena sat down beside Brent. "Yes. That's correct. She didn't tell me not to say anything but I know that she wanted to tell you herself."

Argus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It sounds like he had more than just another episode."

"I'm afraid so but you had better ask Cally for the details. The only thing I can say is that we need to get Avon back to my people as soon as possible."

"They might be able to help him?"

"I'm hoping so."

Argus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was torn between saving a friend and defeating the aliens and helping the Chandarans. They were all were important.

President Brent said sympathetically, "If you could lend me a couple of your teams, I'll carry on and stop the aliens. You can take Avon to Tellar."

Argus shook his head. "No. You don't have a hope without the _Justice_."

"I have to try," said Brent.

Marlena interrupted. "We may be able to do both. Sester has…"

"Sester?" Argus tried to push down the old feelings of hostility and irritation at the mention of the psychostrategist's name. "What did he say?"

Marlena told him, "With his help, Avon's situation isn't as serious as it could have been. I believe he has given us just enough time to take care of both urgencies. From what I understand of what Sester said, the more successful you are at keeping stresses away from Avon, the more time he will have."

Argus was relieved that he wouldn't have to make a difficult decision but he hated having another thing that he owed to Sester. It looked as if the irritant of his life had come through again. He sat back in his seat. "Alright, we'll continue with our plans. I'll speak to Sester and Cally later."

**********

After the planning session, a tired Argus went back to the medical unit. He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching Reya's sleeping form. Avon was also resting, but that was to be expected. The only one who seemed to be up was Sester who was reading something on a datapad.

Argus approached Reya's bed. Sester noticed him and put down the pad. He asked with a smile, "You came to thank me?"

Argus held his temper. Making a promise to give Sester a chance, didn't mean that the man irritated him less. "Marlena said that you helped Avon?"

The smile disappeared from Sester's face. "No. She was mistaken. I was only trying to fix a mistake that I had made in the first place. Unfortunately, it's only a temporary solution. It only gives Avon more time."

Argus turned his eyes towards the other end of the room where Avon was sleeping. "If you can find a permanent solution, I might be able to forget my hostility towards you."

Sester studied him speculatively. "You would do that?"

Argus's head turned slowly back to Sester. "You heard me."

"He's that important to you?"

"You should know that."

Sester smiled. "Yes, I do. What I don't know is why."

Argus's brow furrowed in thought. He had given himself many reasons why Avon had become important to him but none of them had seemed adequate.

Sester could see the play of emotions across the other man's face. It was hardly difficult for someone like him. He remarked, "You don't know either, do you? That's very interesting."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just a psychostrategist's musings. Not something you would be interested in. I just needed to know what price you were willing to pay to help Avon."

Argus grimaced involuntarily as he was reminded of the price he had given to Servalan in order to keep Avon safe. "Now you know. Are you able to help him?"

"Oh, nothing is impossible if I put my mind to it." Sester wasn't about to tell Argus that he would have done it regardless. He wasn't enough of a fool to throw away an advantage if it was delivered into his lap.

The corner of Argus's lips barely avoided a snarl. The man was insufferably arrogant about his abilities.

Reya's sleepy voice asked, "Argus?"

Argus turned to her. "I'm sorry. Did we wake you?"

She rolled her body to face him. "I wanted to wait up for you. I guess I fell asleep."

There was a gentle smile on his face. "You didn't have to do that. You need your rest."

"Are you going to stay here tonight?"

"If you'll have me again."

Reya smiled. "I don't think I could stop you. You'd probably sleep on the floor if I said there wasn't enough space on the bed."

Argus grinned. "Probably."

Being cooped up in the medical unit, Reya had been feeling out of things. She hated being inactive when everyone else was doing something. "How are the plans? Have you decided on a way to expose the aliens and turn the Chandarans against them?"

Argus said, "Yes, we've outlined something. It's risky and the chance of success is fifty fifty at best. Brent doesn't have much influence anymore but it's our best chance."

"You're going to use Brent to gain access to the leaders of the coup?"

"That's the idea."

Sester's asked, "And what do you plan to do if they _don't_ take the bait? As you said, Brent doesn't have much influence anymore. Why would they _want_ to talk to him? It's not as if he has anything to give them. And after our stunt the last time, they're not going to trust any trade you propose, real or otherwise."

Argus said, "I _know_ that. We were going to create a reason for them. "

"Something clever no doubt." Sester looked at Reya. "But why go to all that trouble when you already have a real reason?"

The way Sester glanced at Reya instantly put Argus on his guard. Something told him that he wasn't going to like this.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Reya asked, "Is there something I can do to help?"

Argus winced. Involving Reya was the last thing he wanted to do. It ranked right up there with other things that ended with, "over my dead body."

Sester said, "Did President Brent tell you the implications of being a Champion of Chandar?"

Reya struggled up to a sitting position while Argus helped her. He was staring daggers at Sester. Reya said, "No, he didn't."

Sester caught Argus's eyes. "I know what you're thinking. She's not going to be in any danger. All she has to do is to assert her rights as a Champion. You can do the rest."

The look on Argus's face told him that it had better be just that.

Sester gave him a friendly smile. "You know I would never risk Reya any more than _you_ would."

Argus had to remind himself that Sester was only trying to help. He just wished the man wouldn't be so irritating while doing it.

Reya looked between the two men. She said with a none too amused tone, "Can you both include _me_ in this conversation?"

Argus said apologetically, "I'm sorry. You're right."

Sester said, "It was rude of us. My apologies."

Reya asked, "What are these rights of a Champion?"

A smile appeared on Sester's face. "You'll find these interesting."

**********

While the soldiers scouted out the next location, Vila was watching Cally carefully as she concentrated on using her psi abilities. Corinne hovered silently behind them, keeping out of the way.

Vila asked, "What do you think, Cally?"

Cally opened her eyes. "I don't like it. There's far too much hostility at this location. I get the impression that they're waiting for something."

Vila asked nervously, "Or someone? Like us?"

Cally looked around the corner at the commercial plaza they were watching. Everything _seemed_ normal but she knew that it wasn't. "It's hard to say with any certainty but attentions are far too high here. Any additional activity might raise alarms."

"We don't want to be doing that. We're going to have to find a better place to put them down. Somewhere a lot safer."

"I think you're right."

Vila pressed the comm button on his teleport bracelet. "This is Vila to team three; we're going back to the ship. This isn't a good location. Rendezvous back here." All of the team members acknowledged.

Vila said, "Corinne." He turned to look behind him. There was no Corinne in sight.

**********

Sester propped his pillow up and made himself comfortable as he told Reya and Argus about the significance of a Champion of Chandar.

He told them, "Another title for the Champion is the Guardian of Chandar."

Argus asked impatiently, "What difference does it make what they're called?"

"Oh it makes a great deal of difference. Guardian is actually a more accurate term. Function-wise."

Reya asked, "You mean that the title is more than ceremonial or an indication of achievement?"

"Yes, I knew _someone_ might understand."

Argus glared at him.

Sester smothered a smile. Even though he was trying to help, he couldn't help needling the man.

"Oh much more than that. Because the Chandarans place such a high value on physical and military prowess, those whose achievements mark them as exceptional are entrusted with safeguarding the values and tradition of Chandar."

Reya said determinedly, "I'm not about to uphold _anything_ they value here."

Sester resisted an urge to tell her that she was irresistible when she was being firm and dangerous. "I believe you also are entitled to some lands and various monetary compensations. And a seat on their ruling council."

Argus said, "I begin to see the value for us in this title."

Sester responded, "I don't think you do."

Reya asked, "What else is there?"

Sester gave her an encouraging smile, "There is one thing the Champions can do that not even someone on the ruling council can do. It has to do with their roles as Guardians. That means that you can call out anyone to a Challenge. It is usually a public challenge with full coverage by all the viz cast services. About 500 years ago, before the Champions became what they are today, the President then was a lunatic. He had to be removed but he was also a charismatic, vicious and vindictive man who had a lot of followers. Everyone was afraid of crossing him and no one was able to stand up to him. One of the Champions at the time was a man named Traber. He challenged the President. Traber died of course and not a pleasant death from the accounts but it sparked an uprising because he was a popular and respected man. The President was toppled and the next President instituted a formal role for the Champion of Chandar in light of what Traber had done. It's only been used twice since it became a formal office. If the Champion cannot prove his case and win, then he is stripped of his title and is banished. He has to be sure of what he's doing but there is one advantage, something they didn't bother to tell you. A Champion is protected from political reprisals. He cannot be touched or removed except by the President who installed him, by personal refusal, or by banishment as the result of a failed Challenge."

Argus looked at Reya. He could already tell from the set of her jaw and the fierceness in her eyes that she was determined to issue a Challenge. He was afraid for her but he also loved her even more.

**********

Vila was frantic. Corinne was missing and Cally was sensing a lot of hostility around them due to some unknown cause. The only place he knew she wasn't was the commercial square in front of them. She couldn't have gotten past them without being noticed. He was about to send the soldiers back out to look for her when Cally said, "Vila!" She pointed in the direction of the avenue which led to the commercial square. Vila nearly had a heart attack. Corinne was casually walking along as if she had all the time in the world.

Vila nearly pulled her around the corner when she came within grabbing distance. "What did you think you were doing?!"

Corinne became anxious. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. You and Cally were busy and I didn't want to disturb you. I saw someone I recognized, one of my father's old attendants. I thought I might be able to find out some information for you. I thought I finally had a chance to do something useful." She looked so guilty and unhappy that Vila didn't have the heart to be angry for long. Corinne had meant well but she didn't seem to appreciate the danger she had put herself in. He was going to have to keep a closer eye on her in future.

Vila said, "Corinne, next time can you tell me first before you go off? I was about to have everyone go back to the ship but I couldn't find you."

"I'm sorry I worried you."

Corinne still looked so unhappy that Vila said, "It's alright. I know you were trying to help. I was just worried is all. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Cally asked Corinne, "Did you find anything out from your father's old attendant?"

"Yes. He was surprised to see me but he told me that someone is going to go on the public viz cast tomorrow and declare himself as President. Not everyone is happy about it."

**********

Later that night, after the last of the Chandarans had been returned to the planet, it was time to help Avon. Only Marlena and Sester were watching as Cally administered the drugs from the Detention Centre. It was felt that the fewer the people the better when they did this.

Cally's perceptions were open, touching the shape of Avon's mind and being aware of any changes in the flow of emotions that were constant now. If it weren't for his innate protective wall that shut people out, she knew that she would be as overwhelmed as he was.

They all stood waiting and hoping as Cally gave Avon the last one. After allowing the drugs a few moments to work their way into his system, Marlena asked, "Any change?"

Cally could feel fewer bursts of emotions escaping from behind the wall of Avon's mental prison. There was still an active undercurrent of emotions but they were no longer overwhelming his mind. "It seems to be. The intensity of the emotions has decreased."

Sester said, "That's good."

Cally took another injector from the table. "I'll try to wake him up." She entered the settings for a mild stimulant mixture that had a heart stabilization component and applied it to Avon's arm. She could feel him come awake. His eyes moved beneath lids that were still closed.

Avon's eyes opened and he saw her looking worriedly down at him.

Cally felt a strong flash of love and concern from him, along with confusion.

Avon asked, "Cally? What happened?"

She asked, "You don't remember?"

"The last thing I remember is being here, trying to get some sleep."

"You don't remember talking to me or Vila?"

"No."

Cally could feel fear and frustration emanating from him as he wracked his mind for any recollections of what she was referring to. This was not the Avon she was used to. His emotions were much more controlled than this. She should not be able to sense every nuance of his response to what was happening to him, not until it became a much more urgent and he couldn't hold it back. Whatever the drugs did, it wasn't enough. She would have to be careful.

She tried to calm him down by sending him encouragement and peace as she said, "It's alright. Don't worry about it."

She realized immediately that Avon was not the kind of person who could let things go once it entered his mind. Especially not something that impacted him.

The fear in Avon's mind increased and began to override all other emotions. It was too late. He grabbed her arm. "Tell me!" The panic increased as he looked down at what he was doing. He let go of her in shock as if her arm had suddenly burned him. "Cally…" Feelings of guilt; and more panic and fear, this time for her. He couldn't protect her from himself. He shouted in desperation, the sound coming out in a choking cry. "Cally!" He was panting and his heart was racing so hard that it threatened to escape from his chest.

Through their connection, Cally was caught up in what he was feeling. The emotions were so strong that she couldn't think. The only thing she could do was to talk hold of his arm in return, trying to anchor him so that the emotions would not sweep away his mind.

Avon suddenly slumped forward and his eyes closed. The overpowering emotions faded, releasing them both.

Sester's voice was full of concern as he asked, "Cally, are you alright?" With surprise, she felt his arms around her shoulders, holding her up. He guided her to a chair nearby.

Marlena was checking on Avon. In her hand was a bio-injector. Cally realized that they must have put Avon out again.

Cally said, "I'm alright." She tried to get up to go to Avon but Sester gently held her down.

He said, "Not yet. Give yourself some time. You've suffered a great shock." Sester let go of her.

Cally asked, "I don't understand what happened. I thought the drugs were supposed to stop this."

Sester gave it some thought. "I can only guess but from what I understand about the drugs, they don't control Avon's mind, they control the circumstances under which it functions. The actual control still rests with him."

"That doesn't make any sense. If the control still relies on him then how does it work?"

"That's where the surgery comes in. There were things done to his brain that adjusted the way his mind works, such as his ability to process emotional responses. Normally Avon has a great deal of emotional control. It's one of his defining characteristics. It hampered greatly our efforts at psychological manipulation. Using microsurgery, the Centre specialists were able to interfere with that control, leaving him vulnerable. Other things were also done to adjust and train his mind to magnify emotional responses far beyond the point where he could handle them. It facilitated the effectiveness of the nightmares."

Cally said angrily, "That's monstrous!"

Sester grimaced at a strong stab of guilt. "Yes. It is. He left us no choice. If his mind hadn't been as strong, we wouldn't have had to employ such drastic measures."

Marlena had come over and heard what Sester said. "Are the adjustments reversible? Did they destroy areas of his brain in order to achieve this control?" There was no recrimination in her voice, just a desire to understand.

Sester faced her. "I don't know enough about it. All I know is that they started to give him the drugs because without them, it's very difficult for him to maintain control. They flushed the drugs from his system when we wanted to torture him."

Cally said with dismay, "That's what we've been doing to him?"

"I tried to tell you."

Her voice was tight with accusation. "No, you didn't. You only said not to remove the drugs. You never said why!"

"I didn't think you'd believe me. You were all very suspicious of anything I said or did. You still are but the situation is more desperate now. You don't have a choice."

Marlena asked calmly, "Why aren't the drugs working now?"

"Well, my guess is that they are. It's Avon's mind that is not. Subconsciously he must believe that he no longer has control. Even if he tries, he's convinced himself that it's no use and he's going to fail. Somehow it's bypassing what the drugs allow him to do."

Marlena asked, "You mean that he's doing this to himself but he doesn't realize it?"

"Yes. That's what I'm saying."

Marlena's quiet calm had helped Cally settle down and focus on a solution rather than the source of the blame. She asked, "Then what can we do? If I bring him around then his mind goes out of control. I can't reach him when he's like that. I don't have enough time to tell him what's happening."

Sester said, "You need to distract his mind."

Cally asked, "You mean with something that will not produce an emotional response? Something technical?"

Sester nodded slowly. "That might work. When you brought him around, for a few moments, he was stable."

"Yes."

"What was he experiencing?"

Cally remembered back to the sense impressions she got from Avon in those few moments when he was conscious. "There were emotions but calm ones. Love. Happiness…"

"That was when he saw you?"

"Yes. There was some concern because he recognized where we were. He didn't seem to remember what happened. Then there was confusion and fear."

"He was processing where he was and when he realized there was a problem, that was when the other emotions surface?"

"Yes."

Sester's mind was actively focused. "Then I don't think that merely presenting him with a technical problem or a puzzle to solve will be enough to prevent his mind from trying to understand his environment. That understanding is endemic to his survival. You can't stop it from happening."

Cally asked worriedly, "Then what can we do? How can I reach him?"

Sester looked at her for a moment, studying her face and her manner. He was trying to decide how open she would be to discussing something much more personal. "You still need to distract his mind but the distraction has to be strong enough to prevent him from thinking about his situation. At least long enough for you to be able to reach him. Something that will put him off his guard and make him more receptive to you."

Cally could see that he already had an idea but was hesitant to mention it. "What would do that?"

"When the two of you are 'together' does he allow you closer access to his mind? Is he less guarded and more receptive? Does he concentrate fully on you and nothing else? You realize that I'm talking about on a _personally_ _intimate_ _level_."

Cally paused. This was _very_ personal. "Yes. That does happen."

"I had guessed as much. It's a primal instinct. It's one of the few times he's operating mainly out of the right side of his brain. He trusts you enough to allow you to get past the barriers of his mind."

"Yes." Cally looked over towards the subject of their conversation. Even now, there was stress on Avon's face. "I'll try it but not here."

Sester said, "Of course. We will still need to be with you for the beginning, in case you need us. But we'll leave once we see that it's working. Once he is relaxed enough to allow you access to his mind, you can tell him what he needs to know but do it carefully."

Cally nodded.

Chapter Thirty

Avon was brought back to his cabin and placed carefully on the bed. Sester and Marlena stood a distance away, out of his field of vision but near enough to observe.

The atmosphere was subdued as they waited. Neither one of them wanted to draw attention to what was going to be a private moment for Avon and Cally.

Cally sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at him for a few moments. Tenderness came over her and she tried to still her own worried mind even as Avon's face reflected the turmoil in his. She reached across to pick up the bio-injector. This time they would use an even lighter dosage of the stimulant, just enough to suggest a path towards consciousness. She injected it into his neck.

With soft fingers she caressed his cheek while with her mind she lightly brushed across the surface of his consciousness. Gentle, calm, loving and with a hint of desire. Like a breath of fresh air for someone who had only known the tepid artificial atmosphere on a ship.

Involuntarily, Avon took a deep breath in, his chest expanding, almost as if he wanted to take in more of what she was giving to him.

Cally's projected thought was a whisper, *_ Avon. _*

There was no answering response but there was an active awareness of her presence. His mind recognized this source of peace even as it struggled with the chaos.

* _Rest, Avon. _* Her fingers lightly traced down his neck to where the collar of his shirt separated. Unbuttoning it, she placed the palm of her hand on his chest, feeling the heat of his body connecting with hers. She closed her eyes and drew her hand gently down his bare chest while with her mind; she let him feel her need for him.

Avon instantly responded with his own longing; two desires recognizing each other. The turmoil began to fade in Avon's mind. His breathing was deep and calm. Cally could feel Avon push towards consciousness as his barriers began to relax in anticipation. She knew that he would reach for her soon. _* Avon, keep your eyes closed. *_

He still wasn't awake enough to answer her but she could feel his willingness to do what she wanted. His eyes remained closed.

Cally bent down, barely brushing his lips with her own. That touch brought Avon fully awake, his lips parted to receive her hungrily and he put his arms around her and pulled her down to him.

Sester and Marlena silently exited the cabin.

**********

Marlena helped Sester back to the medical unit. Argus, Vila and Brent were there talking to Reya when they arrived.

As Sester got back into bed, Argus asked, "How did they do?"

Marlena answered, "It should work. Avon responds very well to her."

Vila said, "Well that's a relief." Everyone else felt the same way as they all seemed to give a collective sigh.

Argus said, "That's very good to hear."

Marlena looked at the assembled men and then with her eyes on Reya, she said, "Perhaps it's time for someone else to be given some relief? The hour is late."

The men all looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

Reya, knowing why she was saying this, said, "I'm alright. I'm not tired."

Marlena gave her a stare. It seemed to cut through all denials to where Reya's body was trying to remind her that she was still recovering from trauma. Her voice was gentle but firm, "You _look_ tired."

Reya stifled a sudden yawn that appeared from nowhere and insisted on expressing itself. "I suppose I am."

The men finally clued in and shared looks of embarrassment. Reya had seemed perfectly fine to them until now.

Vila said, "I should sleep too. It's been a long day. 'Night everyone." He headed out.

Brent took Marlena by the hand. They both nodded to Argus and Reya and left the room together.

Argus stood by Reya's bed. He felt awkward, wondering whether he should wait until she invited him before climbing onto the bed. "I'm such an idiot. I shouldn't need someone to remind me that you need rest. It's just that…I always see you as someone strong. You don't need anyone."

Reya sighed and said affectionately "You _are_ an idiot." She reached out a hand for his and pulled him towards her. Having Sester in the next bed hampered their expressions considerably. She decided to mention it to Cally tomorrow. "I always thought that I didn't need anyone either until I met you." She placed her hand on his chest. Argus's breath seemed to catch as she did that. She asked, "Do you want an invitation?"

**********

Avon was eager and passionate as he and Cally explored each other. He let her deeper into his mind than he had ever before. Their desires mingled even as their bodies curled around each other. They were very good at giving pleasure to each other; Avon with the skills he had learned and Cally with her mind. They instinctively knew what the other wanted.

Being a man of the mind, the mental discoveries were just as potent as the physical enjoyment. For Avon, his greatest joys had always been in the achievements of the mind. To find that sensual desires could also be experienced on this level was a revelation that Cally was more than willing to share with him. Not to say that the physical component was not important; it became even more satisfying combining the two. It was a joining of mind and body, the pleasure in one magnifying the other.

For Cally, as an Auron, there was greater emphasis on the joining and pleasure that resulted in the mingling of minds. When you are able to touch the other on such an intimate level, the physical sensations were almost incidental. Avon taught her the joys that the physical experience of sex could also bring. The range and power of sensations that could be achieved amazed her.

Chaos and turmoil were forgotten things as they drove each other to greater intensities of pleasure.

Afterwards as they rested in each other's arms, Cally continued touching Avon's mind with her own. Lightly caressing him and feeling him respond with mental pleasure. Their hands caressed each other's bodies lightly, affectionately.

Avon was tired and he was still recovering his energy and breath but he had a sense of well-being and peace. Any type of physical activity tended to exhaust him quickly and one of this intensity and energy drained him even more. It was a good tiredness though.

*_ Avon. _*

He hugged her, pressing their bodies tighter together. * _Can I open my eyes now? _*

She could feel that he was relaxed. There was a light playful quality where she was touching his mind. *_ I think you do very well with them closed. _*

Avon chuckled. *_ We do seem to, don't we? _*

*_ Avon. Can we talk for a moment? _* She continued to touch him both mentally and physically, and sending along a sense of peace and contentment; keeping him distracted. This was somewhat of a mistake.

*_ Hmm? _* Avon asked absently as he leaned forward to kiss her. Despite his tiredness, he still had not had enough of her. Cally discovered the same thing as they became caught up in each other again.

**********

Reya was leaned back against Argus as they conversed. He lightly traced his fingers down her right arm. He was trying to ignore that fact that Sester was in the next bed. At least the man had the decency to have his back towards them and pretend to be asleep. Argus doubted if he was asleep but he tried not to let that bother him. He was playing with the idea of asking him to move. Avon's bed was vacated. He doubted if he would need it again tonight.

Reya asked, "Argus, what do you think about me making a Challenge?"

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

She twisted around to look at him. "I want to do this."

"I know."

She stressed, "I'm the only one who can."

"I know that too."

Reya turned around and leaned back against him. "You'll be there with me."

Argus said fiercely, "_Yes_. I'm not going to let you out of my sight." He put his arms around her and hugged her as if to emphasize it. "_No one_ is going to hurt you again."

"Argus." With difficulty, she turned around in his hug and faced him. "I want to do something more than just issue a Challenge."

Both Argus and the not-really-sleeping Sester blurted out, "No."

Sester sat up and looked at Reya while Argus stared at her.

Argus said, "Reya, you're in no condition to do anything other than issue the formal Challenge."

Reya had a hard set to her jaw. "We agreed that I'm the only one who can."

Argus shook his head. "But that was only to issue the Challenge. The rest of it has to be left to us."

Reya stubbornly pointed out, "_You're_ still recovering from _your_ wound."

Until she had mentioned it Argus had almost forgotten the laser pistol burn to his side. It was only a minor inconvenience that was easily ignored. "That's different. It's nowhere near as serious as yours and I can't even feel it anymore."

Reya unexpectedly pressed on the area that was not supposed to be hurting. Argus tried to stop himself from grimacing but was only partially successful; and definitely not successfully enough for her.

Reya asked, "You were saying?"

Sester said, "He's only thinking of you."

Argus had to keep reminding himself not to react negatively whenever Sester opened his mouth, especially when they both appeared to be on the same side this time. He only managed just the barest of glares as he said, "He's right. We're only thinking of you. We don't want you to get hurt."

Having two against one should have evened the odds somewhat but not where Reya was concerned. She said, "I have an opportunity to do something even bigger here. And show the Chandarans something they've never seen before."

Argus said, "But you've already done that, Reya. You've shaken the foundations of their society and shown them that women are not limited and worthless without a man."

Sester asked, "What did you have in mind?"

This time Argus managed a full glare at his nemesis.

Reya told them, "I want to be the one who stands up and exposes the aliens."

Sester's eyes narrowed slightly. "You want to fight them?"

She said, "Yes."

Argus and Sester both expressed the same sentiment, at the same time. "No! Absolutely not!"

**********

Avon's was almost exhausted by the time he and Cally finally finished. This time, it had been more a stimulation of the mind than the body. He couldn't handle anything more.

His arms surrounded Cally in an embrace as he rested his head on her shoulder. This time he had opened himself enough that she could sense the areas that were hidden. She didn't touch them, only noted them with curiosity and passed on. It made him trust her even more. She would not push him until he was ready.

Without thinking about it, he slipped into the more intimate communication of their minds. *_ Cally. You wished to talk about something earlier? _*

There was a slight spark of apprehension as Cally was surprised by the unexpected question. This time, she did not touch him; she only sent him a wave of gentleness and peace. * _Yes, there was something. _*

Avon raised his head in order to meet her gaze. There was a touch of concern in his eyes. * _Is there something wrong? _*

Cally's perceptions of Avon were still very open and his guards had not gone back up yet. * _You're in full control of your mind. _*

Avon noted that she was not asking a question, she was stressing a statement of fact.

* _As much as I can be with all that's happened. Is that significant? _*

Cally said quietly, * _Yes. _* Peace and reassurance were rolling from her in waves towards him as she calmly told him what his memories would not allow him to recall.

Avon absorbed the information impassively. His eyes indicated that he was deep in thought when she finished. *_ I see. _*

At first, Cally was relieved that he seemed to be taking it in stride. But this total lack of reaction was a bit disconcerting. She asked him, * _Are you alright? _*

*_ You were concerned? _*

Cally replied, *_ I thought I might have to be. _*

*_ That's what tonight was about? _*

Cally said, *_ No. Tonight was about both of us. _*

*_ You don't have to be concerned about me, Cally, though I realize it might be a futile thing to say to you. _*

*_ I can't help it. _*

A sliver of a grin appeared on Avon's face at this confirmation of what he had just said. * _And I can't seem to help worrying you. It appears to be another skill I have acquired along the way. _*

Cally asked, * _Why aren't you more worried? _*

*_ There is no point in worrying about something I can do nothing about at present. You've become used to my increasing lack of control over my emotions? _*

Cally said with consternation, *_ I guess I have. You appear to be back to your old self. _ *

Avon touched her face gently. *_ Not completely. I doubt if you would want that. _*

Cally asked, * _But is it what you want, Avon? _* Her eyes searched his face and her senses touched his mind; seeking for an answer that would satisfy them both.

Avon wasn't sure that he wanted it for himself but it had become an integral part of his relationship with Cally and Vila. He didn't want to lose it for their sakes. Avon just wished he had more time. The Tellaran's offer of help was appreciated but he had learned not to hope too soon.

There was a momentary memory from the cell he had shared with Reya. He remembered a lesson he had learned there, a lesson about last messages.

Avon said, *_ Yes, it is. _*

**********

The dining area was quiet and deserted for once. The bulk of the crew had gone to sleep, leaving only those who suffered from a lack of restfulness; and Vila and Corinne.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that she was a night owl like himself. They had started sharing a late night snack together, when her father wasn't looking for her. It had almost become a ritual; although really it was only the second time they were doing this.

They were drinking hot tea and enjoying a plate of biscuits. The other thing Vila had been doing was introducing her to some of the best cuisine that the food dispensers were capable of producing. Her particular favourite were chocolate chip biscuits.

Corinne said, "I really am sorry about today."

This was the fifth time she had said this since they came back.

Vila said, "You don't have to keep apologizing, Corinne. I know you were trying to help."

"Sometimes, when I want to do something, I get impatient. I don't get to do much else that's interesting and exciting. Just study and exercise. My parents tried to be very careful so when I get a chance, I guess I can get a little carried away."

Vila said sympathetically, "It must have been boring."

"I know I shouldn't complain. I had it better than the other women on my planet."

"You're free from that now."

"Yes, thanks to you and your friends."

Vila's face brightened with an idea. "How'd you like to do something much less boring?"

"I'd love to."

There was a big smile on Vila's face as he picked up his cup and the plate of biscuits and led the way out.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Thirty-One

There were sounds of delight from Vila's cabin. Corinne laughing and saying, "That was wonderful! Can you show me more?"

Vila could be heard saying, "Are you sure you can handle it? It's just your first time and I wouldn't want to tire you out. It _is_ late and if your father found you here, he'd probably draw and quarter me."

Corinne's voice was puzzled. "Draw and quarter?"

Vila explained, "It's an old Earth thing. They take a…well…they do this…you really don't want to know."

Corinne's voice was still puzzled. "But I don't think my father would mind this."

Vila said, "I don't know a lot about your father. He might think I'm corrupting you."

Corinne sounded very innocent. "What we're doing isn't wrong, is it? I don't think my parents would mind. We're just having fun."

"It's not _what_ we're doing that they might object to. Here, you'd better take it off. We can do it again tomorrow if you like."

"Oh yes, very much." There was a brief pause.

**********

Inside Vila's cabin, Corinne had just hugged him. Vila felt awkward. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to hug her back. They _were_ in his cabin. It might not be a good idea yet. He was not ready to introduce her to the things that were at the top of his list of favourite things to do. She was different from Kerril. It didn't seem appropriate somehow and he didn't want to make a mistake with someone he was really starting to like.

He suspected that Corinne's inexperience extended to a lot of areas that covered the interactions between men and women.

The other cause was because he was still wearing the virtual imaging gear that he had gotten from the Pleasure City folks. Corinne had already taken hers off and was holding it in her hands while hugging him.

"Oh, that's uncomfortable," said Corinne as she let go of him. She touched one of the many round disks that served as image projectors. "Why don't you take this off and I can give you a proper hug?"

Vila said apprehensively, "I'd rather leave it on, thanks. Besides it's late. You'd better go before your father or mother come looking for you." The imaging gear served as a protection from his own intentions as much as Corinne's.

Corinne was a very determined young woman. "It's alright. They're probably asleep by now and besides, they trust you."

Vila said, "And I'd like to keep it that way, if you don't mind. If I keep you up to all hours who _knows_ what they might do to me. I'm surprised your father hasn't come knocking on my door demanding what I've done with you." He was thinking that Corinne could get him into a lot of trouble if he wasn't careful. She was very affectionate.

Corinne put the imaging gear on the table next to the half finished plate of biscuits. "Oh, he wouldn't do that. At least, I don't think so. I _am_ an adult."

"Yes, but you haven't been out much and your father seems very protective of you."

Corinne frowned in recognition of this fact. "I guess that's true."

Vila said, "We'd better get some sleep."

Corinne's smile was warm. "Thank you for showing me where you come from. Those images were so real, I felt like I was really walking on a street on your planet. I'd love to visit it one day."

"It's Federation. But it's my piece of it so it's not too bad." Vila realized that compared to Chandar, it probably did look like a much better place. At least women could walk around freely, or as freely as anyone could in the Federation. "I'd love to show it to you some day."

"That would be wonderful but you're right, I am a bit tired."

Vila looked concerned. "Sorry about that. The sensory outputs are a bit strong. I've been meaning to have Avon look at it but he's been too busy."

"Good night, Vila."

"Good night, Corinne."

**********

Argus and Sester stared at each other as Reya looked between the two of them. It was another one of those awkward and unpleasant moments when they were both united in purpose. A situation that neither of them liked.

Sester said, "Reya…"

Before he could get past her name, Reya said, "You can save your breath. Both of you. I'm going to do this."

Argus decided that Sester's lame attempt needed his help. "But Reya, you can't even get out of bed without help."

Reya's jaw was set and determined. "Not right _now_, I can't. But in a few days and with a nice strong dose of adrenaline, I _will_ be able to."

Sester said, "Yes. You can stand but that doesn't mean that you can fight."

Reya was prepared to answer all questions. "But I don't need to fight a battle, or even a match. I just need to expose the aliens."

Argus said, "But we don't even know who they are."

Reya smiled. "That's where the two of you come in. You can find out for me."

Argus and Sester stared at each other. Argus asked, "You want _me_ to work with _him_?"

Sester grinned, "You make that sound like such a pleasant prospect. I'm flattered."

Argus glared at him.

**********

The next morning, accompanied by Cally, Avon returned to the medical unit. She insisted on a full series of life scans before pronouncing him well enough to be let out for a few hours, under supervision.

Avon was not exactly in the best of humours this morning. Despite what they had shared the previous night, having his freedom curtailed, no matter how good the reason, was exasperating to a man who craved independence. It did not help his mood to find Sester propped up on _his_ bio-bed, eating breakfast.

Avon asked irritably, "What are you doing here?"

Sester gave him an easy smile. "I'm having breakfast."

"I can _see_ that. Even a blind man can _see_ that."

Sester had an amused attitude this morning. "Really? Then the parameters under which we define a blind man need to be revised."

Avon was definitely not amused. The ready antagonism he had for this man shaped his lips into a snarl. He surmised, "Someone must have kicked you out of the other bed."

Sester grinned. "_He_ is obvious, isn't he?"

Avon said in warning, "Leave him alone."

The truth was that the Sester had decided to give Reya and Argus some time alone, or at least relatively alone, this morning. Sester's grin widened. "Cally's _cure_ must have worked last night. You're back to your old lovable self."

Avon said in a tone that could give icicles chills, "Leave. This is _my_ bed."

Sester said pleasantly, "Of course." Balancing the food tray carefully, he slid off the bed. Sester stood off to the side, watching the proceedings while munching the rest of his toast. Avon climbed onto the bed and Cally directed him to lie down.

Avon glared at his unwanted audience. "Don't you have something better to do?"

"I'm hungry."

Avon said brusquely, "Multi-task."

Sester grinned, "Alright. I can take the hint."

Cally said to him, "Don't go too far. You're next."

After Sester moved off, Avon said grumpily, "_I_ do not require supervision."

Cally put her hand on his arm gently and with her mind sent him a sense of understanding. She knew that being weak and dependent on others was very hard for him. And the lack of freedom might remind him of the Detention Centre. "Avon, I promise, if your health will not be compromised, you can leave the medical unit today. But can you to promise me that you will be careful? Let me know the moment you feel something is wrong?"

After all of the things that had happened to him, it was much harder for Avon to keep his distance from people he cared about. In the past he had tried to limit his caring to actions alone. Objective actions applied when they were needed, didn't require displays of emotion; they did not demand that he learn to get along with people. There were no feelings or relationships to maintain. He cared _and_ he didn't care, no one else knew the difference.

It had been much easier that way.

And lonelier.

He was a different man now. The loneliness hurt and seeing people he cared about in pain, hurt even more. Cally loved him and she was very worried. He could not ignore that.

They both knew that the condition of his mind, even with the drugs, was precarious at best. Despite his denials, logically, he knew that he needed help. It was hard for him to admit that, but he couldn't ignore facts. It didn't make it any easier for him but the look on Cally's face made him feel guilty that he was making it harder for her as well. His love for her balanced with his need for independence and freedom.

Avon grimaced; for some reason sometimes love felt like pain for him. He reached up and caressed her cheek lightly. "I promise." His voice carried an unaccustomed hint of warmth along with the sincerity of a man to whom promises are things to be kept.

Cally mused that that warmth was becoming increasingly more familiar. It was something she hoped that Avon would chose to keep when they finally got the help he needed.

Chapter Thirty-Two

When Avon entered his lab, it felt like being home. It was the one place on the ship that he felt the most comfortable in. Not that his cabin wasn't a good place for him but this space was his.

Even though Cally used it to work on her medical studies and they spent time together here, this was the acknowledged place for _his_ projects and _his_ work. It was where he exercised his mind on problems that were his specialty. Unless there was something important, everyone else knew to leave him alone here. That is unless they were concerned about him; then it was easiest place to find him. Which could be annoying for someone who needed his privacy and his space.

Avon rubbed his palm absently as he looked over the partially finished projects that had had not been touched since he was last here. Too many things to do. Did he have the time to finish them?

So far his mind was still able to function on this level. When would this begin to be affected as well?

No. Such thoughts were non-productive and would most likely produce one of the undesirable states that would unbalance his current equilibrium. Not to mention, it would worry Cally and she would be making a visit into his mind to inquire, discreetly of course, if he was alright. The best way to deal with it was to not think about it.

Avon sat down and picked up the oscillator device that had been used to detect the Chandaran's treachery during the Commander's combat match.

**********

Vila hovered just outside Avon's lab before entering; his feet paused between going in and staying out in the corridor. Usually when he visited here, he would barge right in but today he hesitated. He knew he had to be careful. Cally had told them all that under no circumstances was Avon to be stressed.

Vila hoped that an expression of friendship would not be considered too stressful. This was Avon though, it probably would be. That was why he was hesitating.

He knew that these days Avon was willing to give more expression to how he felt about people. The positive things and only on the odd occasion, but it was far better than the guess-the-motivation attitude he used to have before.

Being open to accepting feelings from someone else was very different though. In many ways it would be even more disturbing for someone like him.

At times, approaching Avon felt as perilous as facing real danger for Vila. Being ready with a ready snark or two helped; a good offence to put him off before he could say anything, or having a good retort so that Avon would know that he was dealing with someone who couldn't be dismissed, the way most Alphas did to Delta grades.

At times he thought that he surprised Avon in the past and there was just a little bit of grudging respect. Or so he preferred to think but Avon would never admit it. There was one thing he always thought odd, of all the people that Avon did throw snarks at, he only bothered to be consistently witty with him; with him he took the extra effort.

At times Vila missed that banter from the old days but in those days he had to guess whether Avon cared about him. Sometimes it seemed he did. At other times it wasn't so clear and at still at other times Vila thought Avon despised him.

It didn't help that he had felt weak in those days, the kind of person Avon thought easily led and who let others do his thinking for him, the kind of person he had very little respect for.

Avon ran around doing things with the ship, doing researching or inventing gadgets to help them all. Extra things no one had asked him to do, just like he was doing now. The man didn't seem to rest. When he compared himself to Avon in those days, Vila felt he had barely done anything; he never liked working unless he had to. He did feel a bit guilty now.

Not to mention Avon had voluntarily gone down into danger without anyone asking him to, while he usually had to be pushed or tricked, even to help himself. Their relationship was very screwed up at times with Avon treating him badly and he using Avon to bear the risks he didn't want to and to keep him safe. It had been a vicious cycle neither of them had been able to break.

Until now. He would forgo all of the banter for this chance to build a relationship where they were both equals, sharing the danger, the respect and the work. They still had a long way to go. He had to overcome his own weakness as much as Avon had to his.

Vila's brow unfurled and he had a determined look on his face as he activated the door panel and entered the lab.

**********

Avon looked up to see Vila entering. He kept his emotional state even, not allowing himself to register annoyance at having his private sanctuary invaded. Just deal with the situation as quickly and with as little complication as possible and move on.

Vila came over and sat near him. "I wanted to see how you were. See if you needed anything."

For Avon, this was worse than an invasion of privacy. It was an expression of caring and concern; an indication that people thought he needed help and couldn't take care of himself. It was an unwelcome reminder that he was weak and dependent on others.

Emotions began to surface.

_No. _He had to think this through. He could not allow himself to lose control. It would be too dangerous.

In order to deal with this he either had to accept the caring or dismiss it.

Avon studied Vila's concerned face.

He remembered his resolve to rebuild their relationship. Vila was important to him. Just as Cally was important to him but in a different way.

How would Vila react to having his caring dismissed? Avon doubted if it would be good. It never concerned him before how someone else would _feel_ about his actions. He certainly hadn't cared about his own feelings and no one else seemed to either. It wasn't that important.

It was now. Despite the denials of his logical mind, Avon was intimately acquainted with the real power of emotions. Servalan and Sester had almost destroyed him with them; they had come close to breaking him with them. He had been made to experience emotional pain and horror and paralyzing fear and guilt; in greater intensities than any human being could possibly handle and still be able to remain sane.

Avon wasn't sure why he still was. Perhaps this reality was just a figment of a mind that had finally let go. Maybe he was still in the Detention Centre. And the life of this Avon he was experiencing now, the one who was more human than he had ever been before, was really the delusion of a deranged mind. A fantasy of a life that wasn't possible for someone like him.

Vila was used to the long and intense stares from Avon but this was just a bit too long. He asked, "Avon, are you alright?"

Avon was startled out of his thoughts. "Of course."

"I just thought…never mind." Vila knew it wasn't a good idea to continue acting worried around Avon.

Avon wanted to ask brusquely, "What do you want, Vila? I'm busy." He knew that this would push Vila away and then he would have the privacy he wanted.

His mind was still caught up in thoughts he hadn't finished processing yet. He hadn't decided what he should do; he needed to finish this train of thought.

Avon realized that he had already determined that he didn't want to hurt Vila by being dismissive of his expressions of concern. It was a logical choice given his decision that this relationship was important to him; important enough to practice those expressions that other people seemed to need.

He struggled with his own pride and his need to appear strong and in control. The desires to be independent and to be able to stand alone were powerful.

Avon managed a slightly warmer voice as he said, "Thank you. For your concern."

Vila's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, well. You're welcome."

"If I need anything, I will let you know. Was there anything else?"

Vila looked down at the oscillator that Avon was working on. "I could help with that. Not that you _need_ any help. You don't _need_ anyone but I thought it might be nice if we could spend some time together. I mean, if you don't mind. It's alright if you don't. I know you like being alone. And maybe I'd better leave." He got up to go.

Avon said, "Stay." If he was committed to making this relationship work, he was going to do what was needed. He would have to learn to sacrifice his desire to be alone sometimes. "We can work on this together."

Vila sat down and looked at him. His offer to help and the desire to spend time with Avon had been genuine but he hadn't seriously expected Avon to take him up on it.

Avon added with a very non-expressive face, "Not that I need any help."

Vila's face broke out into a grin. "Of course not."

**********

The lab was silent again. Vila was gone. He should be on the flight deck by now, attending to his shift. Avon was already working on his next project, a new design for the teleport bracelet. This one was to be much smaller and would be made to look and function as a normal wrist chronometer.

With Vila's help, Avon had able to finish expanding the capabilities of the phase oscillator device much faster than he would have on his own. Now it covered a much larger area and was able to detect a wider range of signals.

Avon had to admit that it had been enjoyable working with Vila. Vila had a turn towards humour and kept up a constant banter that helped distract his mind from more sombre thoughts. Too much of it would have started irritating him but that was something they would have to work on.

The door to the lab slid open revealing Argus. He strode in purposefully and came over to the table. "I know you're busy."

Avon stared at him, not answering. It was evident that he was busy, there was no need to reply.

Argus said, "I wanted to run something by you." He sat down.

Avon almost groaned when it looked like Argus was making himself comfortable for a much longer visit. "What do you want?"

"We need a way to detect the presence of the aliens."

This was interesting. "That would be useful," agreed Avon. He put the teleport bracelet he had been working with down on the table. "But it would require the capture of one of them in order to determine the differences."

Argus sighed and said, "But we would have to find one of them first."

Avon replied, "Yes."

"Damn."

"Have you considered questioning Poul and the others you're holding?"

"I have Sester and Cally doing that now."

This was also interesting. Avon asked, "You're working with Sester now?"

Argus grimaced. "Don't ask."

A half-grin appeared on Avon's face. He had observed the interaction between Argus, Reya and Sester in the medical unit. It had been amusing and very informative. "His skills should prove useful."

Argus was puzzled. Of all people, he would have expected Avon to be the one most opposed to any association with the man who had destroyed his life. "You don't mind that I'm letting him help?"

"We are using him. Not becoming friends."

Argus nodded and asked casually, "How are you feeling?" He had wanted to ask this first but didn't want Avon to know that this was the primary reason why he had come. Cally had been very explicit in her instructions. They were not to make Avon feel as if he was weak and needed help.

Avon's eyes were focussed on his while Argus tried to keep his face neutral.

Avon said, "The drugs are working."

"Oh good. I wasn't worried. I…"

"You just wanted to make sure."

"Something like that." Argus looked down at the teleport bracelet and the oscillator device he recognized. "I know you have a lot to do but none of these are more important than your health. I wanted you to know that."

Another expression of concern; today seemed to be full of them. This man was a partner and he was saying that he valued him beyond their usefulness to each other. It was the act of a friend. Avon said, "Don't be a fool. These are important. Without them we won't be able to do what we need to do."

Argus said, "I know they're important. I know what we are doing is important." He stopped for a moment, as if this was something he found hard to say. "I don't want to lose you."

Argus seemed to look embarrassed. It appeared that expressions of sentiment were as difficult for him as they were for Avon. "If we lose this battle, there will be other ones."

Avon said, "Perhaps you could have me cloned. I believe the Aurons still posses that technology."

"That's not funny, Avon."

For a second, there was the barest of grins on Avon's face. "Alright."

Argus seemed as if he was on the verge of saying something else but was hesitating again. He squared his shoulders a bit more and said, "I know we've only talked about being partners but…I also consider you a friend." He looked nervously at Avon, wondering how the other man would react.

Avon's eyes narrowed. It was too much of a coincidence that both Vila and Argus wanted to show this level of concern and desire for friendship today. "Did Cally say something to all of you about me?"

"No. I mean, she just said to be careful about stressing you. That's all." He realized what Avon must be thinking. "I'm not doing this… because of your condition. I really mean it. I've been meaning to speak to you but I'm not good at talking about things. Give me a fight any day and I'll be raring to go. But this…it's harder than…" It was getting increasingly more awkward for him.

Some inexplicable impulse made Avon extend his hand. It surprised himself as much as it did Argus. The two men who found actions much more comfortable than words, shook hands together for the first time as friends.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Cally and Sester stopped outside of the guarded cabin that housed Poul and some of his associates. Cally had been trying to keep a neutral and professional attitude with the psychostrategist. Like Argus and Avon, she couldn't help her automatic hostility towards this man; she was always on her guard around him. If she hadn't been, she knew it would have been very easy to be taken in by his warm and friendly manner. Even more now because they were supposed to be working together.

In terms of charm, Sester was even more potent than Blake, without the undercurrent of obsession or aggressiveness. He came across as sincere and open. The man seemed genuinely interested in people and was naturally sociable. Of course, Cally knew that being a psychostrategist, it didn't mean that he was interested in people personally. She maintained a very cynical attitude towards anything he said or did.

Sester had made her trust him. He had provided friendship and kindness at a time when she needed it. She didn't know until he had shown up again later that it had all been a lie. He had used the knowledge he had obtained from her in order to torture Avon. It was why she was very wary of his interest in Reya.

She was very worried for her. Cally had known the side of Sester that he used to trap others. Reya only saw it as an indication of a caring friend. Cally had made that mistake once too; she was determined not to make it again. She wanted to make sure that Reya didn't either.

Sester had the ability to press all of the right buttons to make you do exactly what he wanted, without you realizing it; or even if you did know what he was doing, and didn't want to. This was a very dangerous man.

Two guards framed either side of the door like silent sentinels. Sester and Cally were acknowledged by the soldiers.

Sester asked, "Any problems with them?"

One of the soldier responded, "No, sir. They've been quiet."

Cally pressed several buttons to activate the visual panel that Avon had set up so that they could see inside. There were four occupants of the room. Poul and another man seemed to be arguing but they were keeping their voices low.

Sester asked Cally, "What's their mood like?"

Cally had her hand to her temple and her eyes were closed as she tried to concentrate her perceptions towards the people inside. "There's much anger and frustration."

"That's to be expected. Anything else?"

She opened her eyes. "They appear to be working themselves towards some sort of action but I can't tell what it is."

Sester grinned. "Then it looks like we came at the right time."

Together they observed the men inside. Sester noted a myriad of details; the way they held their bodies, their manner when they talked, the position of their heads, the movement of their eyes coordinated with what they were saying, the particulars of the gestures used and many other things that a psychostrategist had been trained to observe and analyze. Because the men were whispering, not everything could be heard. Only what the occupants on the inside chose to be overheard. For Sester this in itself was very indicative. People didn't have two minds to be able to split their attentions fully. In what they chose to reveal, they often left clues.

In some ways psychostrategists _were_ like telepaths. They were able to read people and know what they were thinking and feeling; sometimes even things the person they were reading weren't aware of themselves.

**********

Sester and Cally sat in an empty cabin when Poul was brought in by two guards. His attitude was distinctly antagonistic as he was led to a chair and unceremoniously 'guided' to sit.

Poul's mouth seemed to be stuck in a perpetual and hostile sneer as he looked at both of them.

Sester angled his head towards Cally and remarked, "He doesn't seem to like us."

Cally's voice telegraphed into his mind without ceremony or warning. * _Do you plan to question him or are you only here to provide entertainment? _*

Sester glanced at her and suppressed a smile. There would be no element of humour and irreverence in this interrogation.

Sester said to Poul, "We know you're planning to escape."

Poul's eyes widened in involuntary surprise even as Cally projected her own shock, * _What are you doing? _*

Poul recovered quickly and tried to sound affronted, just a bit too convincingly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sester gave him a friendly smile. "Why don't I tell you what you're planning? That way we can avoid the unpleasantries."

The tell tale signs told Sester that his words were having the desired effect even before Cally said into his mind, * _That increased his stress level. _*

Sester knew that he didn't really need Cally here to do what he needed to do. Her limited psi abilities with humans would not have told him anything that he couldn't read himself. Of course, her most useful role for Avon and Argus, was to keep an eye on him and maintain control on what he was doing. It was very obvious. They hadn't even attempted to be subtle.

Sester could do superiority very well. "You didn't realize we could hear you, did you? The sound pickups in the room are far advanced to anything your people have."

There was a flicker of uncertainty in Poul's eyes.

Sester stared at Poul and let a few seconds pass, allowing the information to work its way towards fear. For a man in a weaker position, the lack of information was a serious handicap.

Cally told him, * _He's afraid and uncertain. _*

Sester finally continued, "You were planning to fake a suitable emergency requiring medical treatment."

Poul could barely suppress a contemptuous laugh and a look of relief. He said with scorn, "If you say so."

Sester smiled confidently. "So you _are_ planning something."

There was anger on Poul's face as he realized that he had just been manipulated.

Sester wasn't finished. "Do you think it would disrupt your plans much if we put you in _separate_ cabins?"

Poul said angrily, "You can't keep us here forever."

"Now why would we do that? You don't have any _value_ to us and we can't just _let_ you go either. It does present somewhat of a dilemma." Sester's brow furrowed as if he was thinking about this difficult problem. "Of course the simple solution would be to kill you."

Poul said contemptuously. "You wouldn't do that."

Sester's voice became a deadly chill, the voice of a man who was used to ordering other people's deaths without hesitation. "That was _before_ we wanted something from you. Now your lives have become a useful bargaining counter. How many of you do you think we have to kill before we get what we want? Do you think the others would volunteer you first or are they more self-sacrificing than you are?" Sester smiled pleasantly.

*_ He doesn't like what you've said and he's confused. _*

Sester couldn't blame Poul. He knew that the man was brave enough to die without revealing anything. The problem was that Poul knew that not all of the men in the room were. The idea that he could die for nothing other than a gesture of personal defiance wasn't a pleasant one. Sester knew this from his study of the men in the room.

He could easily have started with one of them first and save himself the trouble of having to manipulate Poul. Poul was the prize though. He was the leader, he would possess more useful information than the rest. If Poul fell, the others would likely fall as well.

Sester said, "How about a compromise? I have a few questions. Some of them are in your best interest. Some are not. I'll let you decide which interest you want to serve given the new circumstances."

Poul's eyes narrowed. "What new circumstances?"

**********

After Poul told them what they wanted to know, Cally and Sester were conversing outside the room before they reported to Argus.

Cally said reluctantly, "You're very good."

"Not good enough. We have a better idea but still nothing specific."

"We were limited by Poul's lack of knowledge about Thelis's operations, not your skills."

Sester said in a light teasing tone, "You should be careful, Cally. One might think that was a compliment."

There was no light tone in Cally's response. "It's only a recognition of your expertise as a dangerous manipulator."

Sester said pleasantly, "For a psychostrategist, that _is_ a compliment. And it's hardly a secret now. You all know what I am."

Her eyes contained the hardness of past betrayals. "Yes. I do."

Sester inclined his head in recognition of their history. "Yes, you do. But now that expertise is available for your purposes."

"I'm not ungrateful for what you've done to help us _and_ Avon."

Sester added, "But it will never be enough?"

"I would be lying if I said otherwise."

He told her, "I appreciate your honesty. I know that you don't believe me, but I am committed to helping Avon."

She fixed him with a look that seemed to want to penetrate into his mind. "How long does guilt last for a psychostrategist?"

**********

After reporting to Argus, a thoughtful Sester went looking for Vila. It had been a long time since they last spoke together. Someone had mentioned that they had seen him in the dining area.

Sounds of laughter could be heard before he entered the room; Vila and a woman enjoying themselves. He stood to the side of the door in order to look inside without being seen. It was Vila and Corinne and a table full of small bowls. They appeared to be having fun.

Sester pulled back a bit so that they wouldn't notice him and continued to observe. It looked like Vila had found a new friend. Or something more than just a friend.

He was happy for him. Sester decided not to intrude and headed off to his cabin to spend a quiet evening playing solitaire chess.

Unknown to him, Cally had rounded the corner and saw him observing Vila and Corinne. At first she was suspicious and hid in order to watch what he was doing. She opened up her senses to catch what she could and was surprised at what she found.

There was a strong sense of loneliness and isolation. For a moment, he seemed human. But only for a moment.

It wasn't a surprising find. Sester was on a ship full of people who considered him the enemy. Cally reminded herself that he had chosen this path. No one had forced him to do the things he had done.

She had asked him how long guilt lasted for a psychostrategist. He had stared at her and then walked off without answering. More than anyone else on the ship, she knew that he did feel guilty and he regretted what he had been part of. But she was too close to Avon's suffering and anguish to be able to forgive his torturer. As Sester walked off in the other direction towards the guest cabins, Cally wondered if there would be a day when she would be able to hate him less.

Perhaps if he found a way to help Avon to recover all that had been taken away from him. She had doubts that it was possible. The damage and degree of alteration that had been done was too extensive. Cally headed off to her own cabin to spend time with Avon.

Thirty-Four

Avon threw the molecular joiner down. He couldn't concentrate on the teleport bracelet. Since Vila and Argus had come to talk to him, his mind kept thinking about their visits.

They all wanted to spend time with him because they didn't know how much time he had left. That was the only conclusion he had been able to come up with.

Avon got up and began to pace. He knew that this line of thought wasn't healthy for him. It would create too much emotional and psychological stress. He closed his eyes and tried to bring his mind and emotions under control. The heels of his palms rubbed restlessly against each other.

The past seemed such a long time ago. He could barely remember what that control felt like; to have the ability to suppress emotions in favour of logic. That was until they became too strong and came bursting out like an angry creature that had been held back too long.

There was a twinge of pain in his back. Avon grimaced and extended himself to stretch it, trying to relax the tensed muscles. His heart rate was increasing.

He _had_ to bring himself back under control before it got further. Avon sat down and concentrated on the breathing exercises Cally had taught him.

Breathe. Relax. Breathe. Relax. Let go. Don't think of anything else. Focus on your breathing.

Slowly his mind calmed itself but before long the thoughts intruded into his mind again; the voices of Vila and Argus.

_Avon, are you alright?_

_I don't want to lose you._

Avon shook his head. Let go. Don't think of anything else. Focus on your breathing.

_I also consider you a friend._

And then his own voice. _Will you wait?_ And Cally's..._I will, Avon. For as long as you need._

Avon opened his eyes. The breathing exercises weren't helping and he could feel the emotions threatening to disturb his fragile equilibrium.

It was obvious that his subconscious mind wasn't going to let him go until it had achieved what it wanted. The breathing exercises were only partially successful. Just enough to keep him calm but not enough to prevent the thoughts from disturbing into his mind.

As long as he could keep the emotions under check, he might have enough mental control to process each situation. And assuming he could keep away from the nightmares.

Was it a futile hope? It had been so far. He hadn't been able to control anything in a long time. Sester had said that returning the Centre drugs to his system should re-stabilize his mind and emotional state. The control was still with him. The problem was believing it after so many setbacks and failures.

He didn't really have a choice. His mind wasn't giving him one. Avon dipped a hand into his pocket and brought out one of the panic patches. He stared at it for a moment, composing himself for what he was about to do. Avon put it carefully on the table in front of him and closed his eyes.

Calm. Breathe. Relax.

He knew what his mind wanted to process.

Rational choices were easy to make. They didn't require having to think about emotional and relational impacts on the human elements. Those factors had an adverse tendency to negate the rational choices; choices that were usually needed in order to survive or to obtain ones goals.

For Avon emotions were of little significance. They weren't abilities or skills that had practical uses. And functional associations were of more use than relationships based on those emotions. It didn't help that he also found emotions and sentiment useless indicators of how human beings really behaved.

For a man to whom truth was of utmost importance, emotions were momentary things, dependent on subjective whims and the changing winds. It made human beings unpredictable and unreliable; the two things that he hated the most about humanity and the why he felt more comfortable with computers and machines. With machines there was no concept of hypocrisy.

But that was the past.

Avon recognized a very basic truth about himself now. He still didn't attach much importance to emotions, not for himself. They had a great impact on him, he couldn't deny that and they fulfilled a personal need. He still didn't see much practical value to them. But they had become a luxury that he would indulge when he could afford to.

The most significant change was in his understanding of other people. Avon had always known that sentiment and emotions mattered to them; but he had considered it pointless exercises in irrationality. The most important difference now was the connection that if people mattered to him, and their emotions mattered to _them_, then their _emotions_ should matter to him as well.

**********

An insistent buzz was threatening to wake Vila up from a pleasant dream. One where he was showing Corinne the beaches of Gardenos. Her hair was…

"Stop that!" Vila griped and opened his eyes. It was _his_ door buzzer that had stolen what he was sure was going to be a very nice moment.

Vila checked his desk chronometer. It was late but not too late. Unfortunately, he had a very early shift in the morning. He had been extremely late for one of his shifts and had promised to take the next one for one of the long-suffering sergeants.

Maybe something was wrong?

Vila certainly hoped there was some good reason for waking him up. He got up and groggily made his way to the door, narrowly avoiding stubbing one of his toes against a chair.

As his cabin door slid open, he asked, "What's the big….Avon!" Vila was instantly awake and he asked with a worried, "What's wrong?"

Avon seemed as startled as Vila was. "What are you wearing?"

Vila looked down at his pajamas. "Oh this. They're pajamas. They're for sleeping."

"I can _see_ that. Why does it have the _Justice_ on it?"

"Well, it's not really the _Justice_. I suppose it looks like it but it's the _Liberator_."

Avon was dumbfounded for a moment as he stared at the multiple versions of the _Liberator_ on Vila's sleepwear.

A memory surfaced. The ship disintegrating on a monitor screen. He remembered his own ironic smile. A life for a life. The loss of Zen and the Liberator versus the death of Servalan. Or so they had all thought. There was a stab of pain in his back. Avon grimaced and clenched his teeth.

Vila's worried voice mixed with Cally's query in his head, both asking the same concerned question. "Avon, are you alright?"

He addressed Cally first before she found it necessary to come looking for him. *_ Just a brief thought. Nothing to worry about. _*

He could tell that she was worried but wanted to give him his space. * _Alright, Avon. _*

Avon focused on Vila, who was looking very worried by now. "I'm fine. Just a momentary thought."

Vila asked, "Do you want to come in?" He moved away from the entrance to let him in.

Avon didn't move. "I woke you up."

Vila said, "No you didn't. Well, yes you did but it doesn't matter. I mean this must be important. You've never come to visit me before."

Avon looked beyond Vila into the darkness of the cabin. "No, I haven't."

Vila's gaze followed Avon's and he realized that he had forgotten to activate the cabin lights. "Oh." He said, "Lights." The environmental controls responded and bathed the cabin with a comforting glow.

As Avon entered he noted that the light was different from the bright one in his own cabin. Vila must have had it adjusted. It seemed to produce a more welcoming atmosphere. This wasn't a detail Avon would have considered important. The function of the illumination system was to provide light. As long as it fulfilled its purpose, any other detail was invisible to him. It would never enter his mind what _effect_ it would have beyond that.

Why was he noticing it now?

Vila brought over a chair for him from the table and got one for himself as Avon sat down. As they stared at each other across the intervening space, Vila wondered why Avon had come.

It was very quiet. Usually Vila's active and restless mind was so full of busy thoughts that he didn't notice how silent it was in his cabin. It felt uncomfortable and made him want to fill the empty space with words. Vila resisted the urge. He had a feeling that Avon had come here for something important. It wasn't the time for their usual banter.

But they couldn't just sit there staring at each other. Vila asked, "You wanted to see me about something?"

Avon seemed to be gathering himself to say something. First his eyes darkened the way they normally did, indicating a depth of emotions breaking through to the surface. He leaned forward slightly with the familiar purposefulness of motions and the tightening of body, as if he was struggling to contain something that was no longer under his control.

By this point in the past, he would usually burst out in something negative, anger or fear that was so strong that it could almost be felt by the people around him. Sometimes his body would be so tight with tension that it seemed to tremor with the intensity of his struggle to both express and contain his own emotions. Avon didn't reach that point now but Vila could see that he was trying to contain something.

Whatever it was erupted into two words. "I'm sorry."

Vila said, "It's alright. I can see this is important."

With what seemed to be another difficult effort, Avon said, "No. It's not that."

Vila looked confused, "I don't understand."

Avon seemed to gather himself again and said, "I'm sorry for Caspar."

Vila's mouth fell open in shock.

**********

Vila's warmly lit cabin was silent again but this time it was Vila who was staring and Avon who looked distinctly uncomfortable.

Avon clarified, "That's the planet where we found the Space Rats, in Sector Five."

Vila said, "I know what it is." He was still in shock.

Avon said, "I should never have sent you down without telling you what I was intending."

Vila added, "Or Dayna."

There was a grimace in Avon's eyes at the reminder. "Yes."

The mention of their former crewmate caused them both to fall silent. It had been a long time since either of them had thought about the young woman who was no longer with them.

Vila looked carefully at Avon's face. The other man's face wasn't impassive, it wasn't emotional like other people's but there was definitely something there. Vila said, "I _was_ mad at you."

Avon was looking at him passively, without saying anything, He had chosen to accept the cost of his admission. It was up to Vila to chose what those consequences were.

This was the last thing Vila had been expecting to do at this hour. Thinking about the past hurt sometimes. It was something he had avoided doing for a long time but for their relationship to move on, they had to deal with things that both of them tended to steer clear of.

Avon had taken a big step. Vila knew how hard it was for a man like him to deal in sentiment. Maybe it was time for him to do the same. For him it was equally as hard but for the opposite reason.

Vila said, "You'd never done that to me before. It hurt me. More than I could ever admit to you or anyone. It seemed like you were just using me like everyone else. Most days I couldn't tell if you cared or not. I wanted to believe that you did. I told myself that you did. But not that day."

Avon gave the barest nod of his head.

Vila continued, "I know _why_ you did it."

Avon finally spoke, "It doesn't excuse it."

"No. It doesn't but…" Vila paused for a moment, trying to think. It was a time for truth between them and the truth was, neither one of them were sterling examples of humanity. There were times that they were but there were many times they weren't. They were just two men trying to survive in a world that tended to crush people like them. It had made them jaded and mistrusting; it gave them both highly developed senses of self-preservation. Neither of them wanted to hurt anyone but neither did they want to be harmed.

Vila said, "I knew if we didn't get new engines, we would've been dead in space in a few months. We were desperate. We needed someone to provide a distraction. One of us had to take the risk."

"It didn't have to be you," said Avon.

"Yes, but why did it have to be _you_ or one of the others? Why shouldn't it have been me? I should have volunteered. I knew more about the Rats than any of you...but...," Vila faced another truth about himself. "I'd have probably given it away if you _had _told me. I've done it before. I never did handle that kind of stress well. Is _that_ why you didn't tell me?"

Avon was obstinate, he wanted Vila to be angry with him. The last thing he wanted was what Vila was giving him. He was doing this because Vila's emotions were important to him, not his own. "It still didn't make what I did right. I used you."

There was no look of hurt in Vila's eyes or anger. There was only something that Avon didn't understand.

Vila said, "Avon, when Servalan sent that assassin after us, why did you take the risk yourself? Why did you have yourself beaten up? And why did you bring me along to watch?"

Avon was surprised at the change in topic. Were they finished with what happened on Caspar? Had anything been achieved by his admission?

He said, "We needed to get information on Servalan's plans before Cancer succeeded in killing us."

"But you didn't have to do it that way. Your plans usually make sense and you avoid 'pointless' risks. I mean, getting yourself pounded to a pulp is pretty pointless. It wasn't the smartest thing you've done. It ranked right up there with having yourself tortured for five days to get revenge. Why did you do it? And why did you bring _me_ along so I could watch?"

Avon's eyes narrowed. "You think that the two are connected?"

"I think the _three_ of them are connected. What you did to me on Caspar, what you did to yourself on Domo and what you did to yourself for Anna."

Avon rubbed his wrist absently. "You're mistaken."

"I don't think so. Sester told me that a lot of times people do things without knowing why they do them but it doesn't mean there isn't a why."

"When did you start listening to him?"

"Well, I don't, not really. But he's a psychostrategist. There _are_ some things he _does_ know about. I thought I might learn something."

Avon stared at him. Vila was in the process of changing as much as he was.

Vila extended his hand out towards him. "I'll forgive you for what you did if you forgive me for not volunteering to take my share of the danger."

Avon looked down at the unexpected gesture and said, "They're not the same. What you did or didn't do doesn't make what I did any less wrong."

Vila said, "No. That's true. But it works the other way too. What you did doesn't excuse what I did either. We both used each other. Can we forgive each other?"

Avon's purpose tonight had been to give Vila what he thought he needed from him. He had never anticipated anything in return. Avon reached out and grasped Vila's hand. "We can."

In that gesture, there was no ambiguity about how they felt about each other. "I will make you a promise, Vila. I will never do that to you again."

Vila said in return, "And I make you a promise too. We're in this together. I'll try to take my share of the danger. You might have to ask me, but..." Vila grinned. "I'll try not to say no."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Thirty-Five

Cally entered her cabin and nearly did a double-take. The table that was normally against the wall was now in the middle of the room and covered in a white cloth-like material. There were utensils laid out and delicious smells from the plates on the table. The lights only gave off a dim light and there was soft music playing over the cabin's speakers. It sounded familiar. With shock, Cally remembered it as a beautiful piece from her home planet.

Avon stood awkwardly by the table and watched her come over to him. When he spoke it was the voice of someone who was hesitant and uncertain. "Do you…like it?"

Cally put her arms around him and gave him a hug. "Yes, very much." With a light teasing tone she said, "I never knew that you were a romantic, Avon."

Avon automatically put his arms around her in return. The warmth and soft feel of her body against his always gave him a sense of comfort he had never felt with anyone else before. It gave peace to a soul that had been fragmented a long time ago. "I thought it would be something you might like. I didn't have any other intentions." The mention of the 'R' word really rattled him for some reason and almost sent him into a panic, which he thankfully managed to suppress. He could almost swear he hadn't been thinking of that when he had Vila help him make the arrangements.

Cally asked, "What I want is important to you?"

She wasn't touching his mind with hers yet. Avon wished she would, that way she would know and he wouldn't have to verbalize it. He brought his hand up and tilted her head up towards him and brushed her cheek lightly with his fingers. It was a gentle touch, what other people would classify as tender but to Avon it was something inexplicably instinctive. "You know it is."

The first time he had touched her like this, Cally had been unconscious, injured by the Avalon android. No one had ever known that he was capable of such an expression of sentiment. There had been no witnesses to something that would have marked him more human than anyone would have guessed.

In that room where he touched her tenderly for the first time, there was only Avon and a woman he dared not show such tenderness to when she was awake enough to know how he felt. It had been a confusing time then. He had been caught up in Blake's madness; with nowhere to go and nothing to keep him safe. He had nothing, not even the ability to keep a promise to a dead woman he still loved more than his own life.

Not daring to get closer to another woman because he still couldn't let go of Anna.

Avon asked Cally, "Do you remember that I once told you that regrets are a part of life?"

"Yes. How could I forget?" In her mind's eyes, Cally recollection of Avon blended with the one who was standing in front of her. She had wished then for the Avon he was now.

With edge of his thumb, Avon lightly traced her jaw line. "I told you the only way to deal with regret was to keep it a small part of your life."

Cally's breathing deepened. "You were trying to help." Avon's light caressing touch and the warmth of their bodies pressed against each other, coupled with the atmosphere of the cabin produced feelings in both of them that if not careful might skip the dinner altogether.

He asked, "It didn't help you, did it?"

Cally admitted wryly. "No. But I knew you meant well. It was the way you dealt with grief. It was the only thing you had to give me and you gave it."

She felt the undercurrent of emotions from Avon as if they were a rushing tide threatening to overrun his defensive walls. It was still strange to sense him as a barely controlled emotional presence rather than the strictly controlled and repressed one that only leaked the occasional feeling in unexpected bursts.

There had been times in the past when his emotions _were_ much closer to the surface, when his mind was too overwhelmed with the reality of the situation to be able to deny them. Usually it was during times of fear or anger.

There had been the rare times when she had sensed something more. The most common one was humour. He had a strong sense of the ironies of his own life as well as the lack of logic in others.

The ones she had been most interested in, the ones which gave her a different impression of him than anyone else, were those times when he felt a carefully hidden caring, usually for people he outwardly would not admit to caring for. It was why she was the only one who understood what he said to Vila and Gan when they accused him of not caring about anyone except himself. She knew it had hurt him when they said that. He had not given them his usual nasty snark, an automatic response that would confirm or even paint an even worse picture of himself. Avon had tried to explain to them who he really was but the logic by which he lived his life was incomprehensible to anyone who didn't sense him in the way she did.

From the first time she became _aware_ of him on Saurian Major, she had an instant connectedness to Avon. She could sense other humans in varying degrees. Blake and Vila more than any of the others. But with Avon it was different. From the beginning, she had _known_ him. Among the Auronar, there was a concept, a special type of relationship that was possible between those who shared psi abilities. They were called twinned souls.

She had never found one among her own people. She had never expected to discover one in the far reaches of space, far from her home. The day on Pleasure City when Avon had produced an Auron rose for her as a gift, she wondered if he knew its true significance. It wasn't just a rose. It was a symbol of twinning; a two-budded flower that was so rare that it was considered a legend.

Her mind was brought back from her thoughts by Avon's next statement, "I wished I had more to give you that day. Something other than a flawed attempt at consolation."

She said gently, "You gave all that you were capable of. That's all that mattered."

"I…wasn't able to do it."

"What weren't you able to do?" She drew her hand slowly down his back, following the curve of the spine that gave him so much trouble when he was under stress. Pressing lightly to relieve some of the tension that he was feeling because of what he was doing.

She sent a sense of peace and calm towards him but didn't touch his mind in the way she normally did. He needed to do this on his own. She could sense that he wanted to tonight.

"I was never able to let go of my regrets over Anna. You must know that by now."

She said with understanding, "Yes. I always knew."

There was a flicker of surprise on Avon's face and then a resigned and slightly amused look in his eyes. "I should have known." He paused for a moment, as if trying to read what was in her eyes. "That wasn't my greatest regret that day when I went to your cabin."

It was Cally's turn to be surprised. "It wasn't?"

"My greatest regret…was you."

Cally's widened in astonishment as Avon explained, "Since that day we first met on Saurian Major…I felt…comfortable with you. We worked well together."

Cally wondered if that was his way of saying that he had felt that connectedness between them as well. For Avon, being able to function well together would have been more important to him than anything else.

Avon said, "Sometimes, I wanted to…I wished I was capable of something more. I enjoyed the time we spent on the _Ortega_ solving the mystery."

"I did too, Avon. We made a good team."

He agreed. "Yes, we did. I wished…it was more like that between us. But it could never be because of Anna. On Earth there is an animal that mates for life, it's called a wolf. It is like that for me. Then later, when I found out the truth about Anna, I thought I had already lost my chance with you."

"It wasn't entirely lost."

"No. After the alien tried to take over your body, we did share some moments afterwards but it could have been much more, Cally. It _should_ have been. It was my fault that it wasn't. I never recognized how much of a fool I was until that day in the cellar with Anna. And I never stopped being the fool with you."

Cally's presence was helping him to maintain enough control over his emotions that he could do this without being overwhelmed. The peace she shared with him helped him to stay calm and focused. There was one thing it couldn't do though. It could not replenish the energy he was expending.

The time spent with Vila had almost exhausted him. Avon knew that he should rest and that he was risking the borrowed time the drugs had given him. But there was also a sense of urgency. There were certain things he needed to do that were even more important to him than the unfinished projects in his lab.

Avon said, "I wanted you to know that."

Cally touched his face and traced his lips with her fingers. "There are many things we both regret."

"I don't want to waste any more time."

"Is that why you did this tonight? This is very unlike you." She was looking down at the table that had been laid out.

"The…sentiment was mine. I wanted to give you all of the things you deserve. The execution was Vila's. I asked him what a woman might like and he helped me set this up."

"I must remember to thank him. I suppose we shouldn't waste this then." She smiled and took Avon's hand. Together they sat down to enjoy a romantic dinner, even though Avon may not have thought of it as such.

**********

Vila yawned and stretched as he tried to keep himself awake. He hated early morning shifts but fortunately this one was about to end. Should he go back for some much needed sleep? He'd barely gotten any the previous night. He and Avon had spent it talking together. Neither one of them had wanted to stop once they had gotten going. He'd never known Avon to be so willing to be open about himself.

Vila knew that it had been hard for him. Each step had been a struggle against a nature that was intensely private. But Avon had been determined, almost driven last night. It was something that he felt he needed to do. It had made Vila increasingly uncomfortable. This was an Avon that he thought he wanted. It had felt good to finally be able to have the friend that he had always wanted but at the same time, something had felt wrong about it. It wasn't because it was something strange and different coming from Avon. There was something else but he didn't know what it was. It was a nagging worry at the back of his mind as he tended to his duties.

His mind wandered to other thoughts, one that made him smile to no one in particular. Avon had asked him for help. He had wanted to do something for Cally but didn't know what she would want. Everything he thought of had some practical component to it. Avon had wanted something irrational and that was done purely out of sentiment, something she might like. The things he knew that other people did, his mind had dismissed. What he needed was someone with a different mind.

Vila tried to imagine how Cally had reacted when she saw what they had done with their cabin. It was very hard to think of Avon in a romantic setting. Words like mind-boggling came to Vila's mind. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't visualize what Avon would have been doing with all of the things he had set up. Vila smiled again. He wasn't worried. Cally would know what to do and she would guide him through it. Vila wondered if the experience would be as painful for Avon as morning shifts were for him. Somehow he doubted it. Avon loved Cally. Anything done with her would have been what he would want, regardless of how irrelevant he would have thought it was otherwise.

Vila wondered if he should do something similar with Corinne. He had been thinking a lot about her lately. She was someone that he was starting to like very much. There was something special and different about her. She had a curious combination of innocence and jadedness about people. Corinne constantly surprised him and he knew that she would always be a challenge, but a safe one.

He had lost the chance with Kerril. She was forever gone to him and he had never had the courage to tell her that he loved her too. He was determined that whatever chances came up with Corinne, that he would not miss a single one.

**********

Argus had his arms around Reya when he woke up. He had been watching her for a long time now. It was restful and he felt at peace. This morning he had decided to forgo his early exercise routine. Spending time with her was more important. Today was a potentially important one for the Chandar Alliance and Reya would have a great deal to do with it. They were going to expose the aliens. But just as significant, Reya was hoping that by her example and sacrifice a new hope would be given to these people who had been living under the darkness of violence for so long. It wasn't just for the women of Chandar that she was doing this, it was also for the men. For any society to truly survive, it needed the equal input of both.

Chandar had been destroying itself for millennia in what it did to its women but also in the pointless sacrifice of lives in wars and conflicts that had no real purpose. They were going to try to help them see that this was a great weakness and that there was a much better way. Reya was going to.

Into the darkness they were going to try to shed a new light and give hope where before there was only pain and death. Perhaps one day, because of what Reya was about to do, all of the wars would end in Chandar and there would finally be peace, not just in this region but this entire Sector.

And Argus hoped one day that peace would extend to the entire Federation. It was a good dream, a noble hope. Watching Reya's strong but also unexpectedly gentle face, it just seemed possible. Argus hugged her and fell back into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Reya really wished there wasn't an audience in the medical unit to see her trying to get out of bed on her own. Cally had been like an overprotective mother resignedly watching her charge walking for the first time and resisting the urge to lend a hand.

Self-conscious because of all the worriedly watchful eyes, Reya slid off the bed carefully and touched her feet to the floor. She was as apprehensive as the others as she slowly put her full weight on her legs. After days of inactivity there was a possibility that she might be too weak. Reya's face was pale but she was determined.

She stood and let go of the bed. Everyone let out tentative sighs of relief, including herself. She felt good and there didn't appear to be any pain from her injuries. How much that was due to the adrenaline and the pain blockers Cally had given her was impossible to tell.

Reya took a few tentative steps, with each one she seemed to grow stronger and more confident. She was aware of some weakness but it was not hampering her mobility.

To her embarrassment, her audience began clapping. Argus came and stood by her. He had been poised between wanting her to fail so that they could cancel this mission and wishing her to succeed. "I knew you could do it."

Cally said, "You were in excellent physical shape before. That helped a great deal."

Vila had a big smile on his face, "I knew nothing could keep you down for long."

Sester hung back and was standing behind the others. He didn't say anything but it was clear from the look on his face that he shared everyone's feelings.

Avon did not share the others' confidence. He knew that the drugs had a great deal to do with what they had just witnessed. More than the others, he knew the personal implications of requiring chemical aids just to be able to function.

He decided not to say anything. It would not help the situation by injecting some sobering reality. He could see by the hard set of Reya's face that she was going to do this regardless. She was going on courage alone and a belief that what she was doing was right. Reya needed all the confidence she could get.

Avon respected this about her. It was the one thing Avon had appreciated about Blake. He respected people who had the courage to act on what they believed, regardless of whether Avon agreed with them or not. It was the way Avon lived his own life. When he made a commitment, it was real.

He said to Reya, "I'm glad that your mobility has returned."

Reya said wryly, "So am I. Is everything else ready?"

Argus said, "Yes, I already have Dain and several of the teams positioned down on the planet."

She looked at him expectantly. "We should go then."

**********

The President's Hall was a gargantuan place used for major ceremonial functions of a planetary nature. Every new Chandaran President in the past five hundred years was inaugurated here. No self-respecting new leader would deny himself this prestige of historical proportions.

The place was jam-packed with people awaiting the installation of Thelis as the new Chandaran President; throngs of excited and curious people standing behind an energy barrier, vizmedia people trying to cover every angle and who seemed to be interviewing anyone who had an opinion. Positive opinions of course given the heavily armed supporters of Thelis who were present to make sure no one caused any trouble. Amongst the throngs, Argus, Lt. Dain, Vila and their teams, all in Chandaran native dress positioned themselves in discreet but key positions near the Main Hall where the ceremony was to be held. Argus and Vila teleported down ahead of Reya and joined the teams.

**********

In the teleport room, on a large vidscreen monitor that had been set up, Reya and the others watched as a procession entered the Hall. A hushed and awed silence fell over the people in attendance. The procession was in two lines with each man walking tall and proud.

Reya and the others were shocked to find that they recognized two of the people in the procession; Reya's former challengers Dannon and Gravis. The procession stopped in front of a raised platform in the middle of the Hall and stood waiting.

President Brent explained, "Those are the current Champions of Chandar. It's important to be seen to have the support of all of the Champions. "

Cally said, "They're missing _one_ current Champion."

Reya responded vehemently, "And they're not getting _my_ support."

Brent nodded. "It's crucial that your timing is right. You must make your challenge at the appropriate time. It will give it much greater weight."

Avon, who was sitting at the teleport controls, remarked, "It will also make it more dangerous."

Sester, observing from the doorway, said, "Only because of its significance. If Reya comes in at any other time, it will encourage the view that she's an illegitimate intruder. By following tradition, she is shaking the foundation of the concept of a Champion. For the first time, a Champion will step forward to protect Chandar and it will be a woman."

The wide door to the Main Hall slid open with a swish. A lone figure in ceremonial attire of a brown and gold crested jacket entered the Main Hall. The Presidential hopeful, Thelis walked with the solemnity of a funeral march and passed through the double line of Champions who parted to allow him to pass through.

Brent said, "Get ready."

Reya stepped alone onto the teleport platform.

Cally asked Brent, "Are you sure that she has to go down alone?"

"Yes. She's the Champion. She is the only one who has a right to enter beyond the barrier at this point."

Avon checked the coordinates once again.

Brent carefully watched the broadcast of the ceremony and then he said, "Now."

Avon began pressing the teleport controls. He paused at the last one and looked up at Reya and said, "Good luck, Commander." The final switch was activated.

Reya nodded just as the teleport energies took her.

**********

In the Main Hall, the longest serving of the Champions, a man named Trist, walked forward several steps and then turned around to face his companions. In a low booming voice that filled the Hall, he said, "Before the Ceremony of Inauguration comes the Declaration of the Champions. It is our solemn duty to protect the honour and security of Chandar. If any Champion knows a reason why this man is unfit to become the next President of Chandar, it is our responsibility to provide the Challenge. Be aware that this is no light charge and the abuse of this power is strictly punished. The future of Chandar is at stake. I will call out the names of each Champion and you will state your approval or your Challenge."

One-by-one, each Champion gave their endorsement to Thelis. Upon the last one, the Elder Champion turned to Thelis and said, "I also give my support to your installation as President. It is my privilege to announce the full support of all the Champions..."

At that moment a strong female voice said, "This Champion does not support you. By the power invested in me as Champion, I make a formal Challenge as to the fitness of this man to become the next President of the Chandar Alliance. "

There was shock at the sudden appearance of Reya. That surprised soon turned to outraged stirrings amongst the crowd that was behind the energy barrier. If it weren't for the barrier they might have all rushed forwards.

The Elder Champion said, "How dare a woman interrupt the most important Ceremony of Chandar!"

Thelis said, "Kill her!"

Several of the Champions, led by Gravis, rushed Reya. She stood her ground and didn't move as Gravis grabbed her by the arm and twisted it behind her. There was no fear or concern in Reya's eyes, only a determined and dangerous look. She said coldly, "I am a Champion of Chandar. All of you heard President Brent install me as one. Do you not honour your own laws?"

Gravis twisted her arm cruelly and said, "The laws do not apply to a woman. Women are not allowed to become Champions. You're little more than property. If that."

Reya ignored both the pain and Gravis. She addressed the Elder. "You must know more about the Laws governing Champions than anyone here. Is there anything in your own laws which state that a woman cannot become a Champion?"

The Elder Champion, Trist looked distinctly uncomfortable when challenged with this question. In Sester's research, he had found out that Trist was a man who was very strict about following the Laws, especially regarding Champions.

Trist sounded uncomfortable as he replied, "No. The Laws do not specifically state that a woman cannot become a Champion. But the intent of the Law presupposes that no one would ever do such a fool thing as to appoint an inferior creature as a Champion."

Reya said in a firm voice, "Then the error is not with the Law but those who instituted the Law. But as it stands, the Law of Champions does not prohibit a woman from being a Champion."

Trist said with reluctance, "In the strictest sense, the Laws do not prohibit a woman from being a Champion."

Thelis said angrily, "Don't let her words trick you. Just kill her and we can get on with more important matters."

Reya levelled such cold eyes on Thelis that the man took a half step back. Reya said in a voice of authority, "It is no trick. The question is whether you, as the _potential _new President of Chandar, will honour the Laws of Chandar. I am not here to overthrow your established order. I came meeting the requirements of tradition in order to protect the honour and security of Chandar by issuing a Challenge."

Gravis twisted Reya's arm again and tried to put his arm over her mouth to shut her up. "Don't listen to her!"

Reya was ready for this move and made her own. Before anyone knew what was happening, _Reya_ was the one behind Gravis, twisting his arm behind him and causing him to grimace. Reya let go of him and took a step back and said, "I have something very important to tell all of you. It deals with the ultimate security of Chandar. Let me say my piece and then I will submit myself to whatever you wish to do to me."

For the first time, Dannon spoke up, "Perhaps we should hear what she has to say. If it deals with the security of Chandar, we have a responsibility to hear it. As she says, we can do whatever we want with her afterwards."

Thelis said angrily, "We can do whatever we want with her now. We don't have to listen to her."

Dannon faced him. "Are you willing to risk the security of Chandar just because you couldn't wait a few seconds? What if there is a danger to Chandar? She came here knowing what we would likely do to her. She is unarmed and defenceless. Why would she do this if there wasn't something extremely important?" He turned his head to address the Elder, "Trist? What do you think?"

Trist was an extremely cautious man. He turned to Reya and said, "We can wait sixty seconds for the security of Chandar. You had better make a good case. You know what will happen to you if you don't."

Reya said cynically, "Will it be any different than if I do make a strong case?"

Trist said forcefully, "Make your case."

Reya stood up straighter and squared her shoulders. She faced Thelis and said, "You have all been deceived. This man is not a Chandaran."

There were confused and incredulous noises from the crowd. Gravis said, "This is rubbish. I told you not to listen to her."

Dannon asked, "Then who is he?"

Reya said in a louder and deliberate voice, "He is an alien from the Andromeda galaxy."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirty-Seven

With polite but firm use of elbows and other assorted body parts, Argus, Vila and the soldiers had made their way through the crowds and were now in position to take control of all of the access points to the Main Hall. Entrance into the Main Hall was by invitation only and only the most privileged received those.

Argus didn't anticipate any difficulties getting inside. Most people's eyes were glued to the huge monitor screens lining the walls just above everyone's heads. The Athol soldiers were trained to act quickly and with as little disturbance as possible. The only thing they could do now was watch and wait and hope. The danger was still to come. It all depended on Reya and the Champions.

**********

Vila was watching Argus surreptitiously as he observed the view screen. He knew that Argus must be worried sick but he didn't show it. He was always the professional soldier, the leader with the cool head. Vila knew that Argus had not liked this plan and had been opposed to it from the start. It was far too risky. He had been angry that Sester had helped Reya analyze the situation and set up the scenario that was unfolding inside the Main Hall. But he respected Reya and knew that she felt it necessary to do this. He had given her his full backing even though Vila knew that it must have turned his stomach in knots. Vila turned his focus back to what was going on in the Hall.

**********

Argus's hand rested lightly on his holster as he watched Reya declare, "He is an alien from the Andromeda galaxy."

All around them the crowds reacted in shock.

On the screen, that reaction was reflected on Thelis's face and then he laughed. "She's not only a woman, she's insane!" The crowds around Argus began roaring with laughter and some not very flattering comments were made about Reya.

Argus pressed his teleport bracelet and whispered evenly, "Take the exits now."

All of the teams did their jobs well. Amidst the preoccupation with what was going on inside the Main Hall, no one noticed there was a change in guards.

On the view screen, they saw that Reya was unaffected by the crowds' reaction to what she just said. She put her hand in her pocket and brought out a small grey box. "I have a way to prove what I am saying. All I have to do is..." Reya brought the device up as if to point it.

Thelis immediately drew his gun. He shouted and fired at Reya. "Watch out! It's a bomb!"

Dannon had his gun out and had fired at Thelis, bringing him down just as Reya dove and rolled to the side to avoid the shot. Unfortunately three of the Champions had also drawn their guns at the same time and fired at Reya as she desperately continued rolling to avoid being killed. Dannon fired in quick succession, bringing two of them down instantly. His title as the best shot in the Chandar Alliance was not an idle one. The third man's shot hit Reya in the chest.

Dannon shouted, "Reya!" He brought down the final man with a single shot to the head. A smear of blood led to where Reya had stopped rolling. Her body was still. It had all happened so fast that everyone was frozen in shock.

Suddenly, the energy barrier deactivated. The audience inside hesitated for a moment and then they streamed forwards.

**********

Just as Thelis fired his first shot, Argus's face was grim. Then he saw Dannon lift up his gun to bring down Thelis. Sester had been right. A breath of relief was quickly stifled as he saw three other Champions raise their guns as well. They had not expected so many but they had planned for it. Argus immediately pressed his comm button. "Avon, bring her up now!" He saw Reya dive and roll and hoped that Avon could adjust his coordinates quickly enough.

Argus tried to open the door but the controls wouldn't respond. "Damn!" The door should not have been locked.

He cursed himself for not allowing Avon to participate on this mission. Avon had been right. They needed someone on the security computers to make sure that something like this couldn't happen. He could almost imagine Avon's disapproving gaze and a look that read in bold letters, "I told you so."

The time for self-recriminations could wait until later. They had to get inside now.

Argus looked up at the screen and could see the beginning of the teleport energies forming around Reya's rolling body. In horror he shouted just as Dannon did, "Reya!" He saw Reya hit and his heart nearly sank. What was worse of all was that Reya was still in the Main Hall. What happened to the teleport?

Argus saw the privileged crowds seething forward as the energy barrier unexpectedly dropped. He hit the comm button frantically. "Damn it, Avon! Bring her up! They're going to kill her!"

Avon's voice responded, "I can't get a lock on her bracelet. It stopped sending a signal in mid-teleport. It must be damaged."

The situation was getting worse and worse. What else could go wrong?

Argus pressed his teleport bracelet again. "Avon, bring us up! Teleport us directly into the Hall! I don't care who sees us use the teleport."

Avon's voice responded, "I can't do that."

Argus's face and body were controlled but the tightness in his voice betrayed the feelings he was trying to keep under control. "Why the hell not?"

Avon's voice responded calmly, "I can't get a fix on a non-active spot inside the Hall. There are too many people moving around. There isn't a free location to put you down."

Argus swore again.

Vila had been paying attention to what was going on. When Avon announced that he couldn't teleport the Commander up and he couldn't teleport them into the Hall, Vila immediately opened up his equipment satchel and started working on the locked door. "I can get this open."

Argus saw what he was doing and pressed on his comm. "All teams get into the Main Hall the best way you can! Protect the Commander and control the exits!" He asked, "How long, Vila?"

"Just give me a minute. There's a security lock on this." Nervousness tended to make Vila work even faster. He was trying to avoid imagining what was happening to the Commander while they were trapped out here.

**********

Dannon raced over to where Reya lay still. He knelt down even as blood seeped from the wound in her chest. Reya was gasping painfully for air. Dannon pointed his gun at his fellow Champions as they moved towards them. "Don't move any closer!" With horror he saw the crowds streaming forward and surrounding them. He barely knew where to aim his lone gun. It looked like the end but he was going to go down fighting for both of them.

The crowds stopped almost within touching distance. There were shocked faces and they all seemed to be staring at something behind him.

Dannon followed their gazes and nearly dropped his gun. In the place where Thelis lay was not the body of a man. It was the well-known green residue trace left by the aliens who had invaded their galaxy.

Someone else shouted in shock, "This one too!" The crowds moved and Dannon could just catch a glimpse of another glob of green. It was the other man he had shot.

Dannon said in a loud voice, "She was right! The Champion was right! The aliens are trying to take us over. Reya risked her life trying to warn us."

There were loud mutterings as the crowd digested this information and the sight of the alien bodies. Reya's pained breathing could barely be heard.

Dannon challenged, "What are we going to do? How do we treat those who risk their lives for the security of Chandar? She isn't even one of us. She's a stranger and a woman. But she considered saving the people of Chandar more important than her own life. She came down unarmed and was willing to face all of us alone. This is a noble and courageous act. Regardless of who or what she is. And now she's dying. What are we going to do to honour such a noble act?"

Five of the Champions stepped towards them. Dannon tensed and brought his gun up. Without a word, the five Champions turned around and formed a human wall, placing themselves between Reya and everyone else. One of them was the Elder Champion. He said, "The woman, Reya has fulfilled all of the requirements of a Champion of Chandar. I will not see her hurt. You will have to go through us first."

**********

Outside the Hall, Vila straightened up in triumph. "Got it!"

Argus clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man!" The door slid open and the team rushed inside and began to force their way to Reya.

**********

From his kneeling position, Dannon picked up the small grey device that Reya had dropped. He stood up and addressed the assembled audience and the broadcasting viz cameras. "I know that it is hard for most of us to accept but it doesn't change the facts. This woman has done a noble thing and she has given us a way to identify and deal with the aliens in our midst." He held the small device up over his head.

A low masculine voice spoke loudly above the noise of the crowd. "No, she didn't."

The crowd reacted in confusion to this.

Dannon saw Argus trying to make his way towards him. He pointed to Argus and ordered, "Let him through."

The crowd obeyed and Argus made his way to the line of Champions who were standing up to protect Reya. They parted and let him through. Argus kept the reactions from his face as he drew closer and saw the wound in Reya's chest and heard her struggling painfully to breath.

**She looked up at him as he approached. He could barely hear Dannon asking, "What do you mean?"**

**All Argus wanted to do was to take Reya back to the ship, all thoughts of what they wanted to achieve here was temporarily lost. He bent down and knelt beside her. "Vila, give me your bracelet."**

**Vila immediately took his off and threw it to him.**

**Reya gasped out painfully, "No. Not yet. You know what you have to do."**

**"Reya, we have to get you back. You'll die if we don't." Argus picked up her arm but she tried to push him away saying, "No. Not yet. I promised them that I would stay until they decided what they wanted to do. My life is in their hands."**

**Argus pleaded with her, "No, Reya. You're not supposed to do this. We can't lose you. Please."**

**Reya looked at him sadly and putting her hand on his arm, said with difficult and gasping breaths, "You know why we did it this way."**

**Argus said angrily, "That damned Sester! I'm going to..."**

**"No, you're not going to. You're just angry because you know he's right. We have to give them a chance. It's the only way. I can't do it now, do it for me." Her eyes held his until he bowed his head and nodded.**

Argus stood up and looked at Dannon and then he turned to the crowds. "There _is_ no device that identifies the aliens."

Dannon said, "But...we all saw it work."

"All you saw was a light emitter hooked up to an activation switch."

Dannon reflected the confusion of the audience when he said, "Then I don't understand."

Argus's voice was grim as he explained. "We had no way to identify the aliens but we knew that some of them would have been at the Inauguration. We suspected Thelis from the beginning but we also guessed that some of the Champions would be as well. We...Reya took the chance that if she acted as if she had a device that would reveal them, they might be shocked and desperate enough to try to kill her."

Dannon said in disbelief, "But that's suicidal. She's unarmed. How could you let her do that?"

"She trusted that you would do the right thing and protect her." He turned to the Champions and said, "I am not here to pass judgment on your society or to demand that you change."

Argus stopped and looked down at Reya. **He desperately wanted to bring her back to the ship but he had made a promise. Reya had done as much as she could and now she was entrusting this responsibility to him. Her sacrifice could not be for nothing. **Argus tried to recall what Sester had explained to them as they were planning this scenario.

When Argus looked up, there was hardness in his voice when he addressed the crowds again. "Damn it. I take that back. I _do_ mean to say that. In the past you've needed the courage, honour and self-sacrifice of the Champions in order save your society. That's why you hold them in such high esteem. You recognize that they represent the _best_ things about your own people. But you've done yourself a great disservice. Reya has shown you great courage, honour and self-sacrifice today and she's a _woman_. I challenge all of you. In keeping the women of Chandar enslaved, are you denying yourselves half of all that is good about Chandar? Have there been other Reya's in your midst that you've thrown away? **Reya chose to believe in your people because of your legend of Champions. She is entrusting her life into your hands. She is going to honour her promise to stay here and allow you to chose whether she lives or dies. Whatever you decide, she..." Argus's face reflected the pain of his next words. "She will accept. And I will stay as well. I will not leave her. Whatever fate you chose for her, applies to me as well."**

**Argus loosened his gun belt and let it drop to the ground. He knelt down beside Reya and took hold of her hand.**

**********

**Vila didn't know what was happening. None of this had been planned. Reya was not supposed to be lying on the ground dying. She was not supposed to offer to sacrifice herself like this. Argus was not meant to do the same thing. **

**This was being done for a people Vila had very little liking for. He had seen some not very nice things on this planet. But Sester had pointed out something that showed some promise; it was in their legend of the Champions and in people like Dannon and President Brent and his people. There was hope and Reya was staking her life to call on this hope. Argus was sacrificing his life because he believed in her.**

**Vila wondered what it meant to him. He had no ties to these people and he still didn't think much of them, definitely not enough to sacrifice his life for them in a hope that they were right. **

**No. That was wrong. Corinne was half Chandaran. She was worth it. Her mother had given up half her life to stay to help these people. She must have seen something in them as well.**

**No one had asked Vila to risk his life or make any kind of sacrifice. He was his own man. Free to do whatever he wanted, including chose to live to fight another day.**

**But he couldn't. Because of Corinne and her mother. Because of Reya and Argus. Because of all the Chandarans he had gotten to know and who were worth it.**

**Vila slowly took off his gun belt as well and threw it down in front of him. He took a few steps forward, his legs seemed to be shaking so hard that he was sure that everyone could see how afraid he was. "I'm staying too. Whatever you do to them, you can do to me."**

**Around the room, several gun belts clattered to the ground as the Athol soldiers in the Hall all followed suit and stepped forward. **

Dannon said, "Argus is right. Reya has shown all of the best qualities of a Champion today. **As have all of the people with her.**" He looked pointedly at Gravis. "Can anyone of us truly say that we would have this kind of courage, honour and self-sacrifice for people who _hate_ us? This is what Reya has done despite all that we've tried to do to her."

**********

**Up in the **_Justice's_** teleport room, Avon and Cally watched with fascination as Argus told the crowds that he was staying. When Vila stepped forward to do the same, Avon's eyes widened in shock and then he looked at Cally.**

**Cally asked, "What are you thinking?"**

**"Vila." Avon looked back at the vidscreen as the soldiers also made their stands. "He's chosen to believe in something."**

**Cally looked at him for a moment. "I'll go and get a med kit ready." She rushed out.**

**********

**There was shock in the Main Hall as the impact of the actions of the strangers hit everyone. No matter what any of these men believed about women, none of them could close their eyes to what they were witnessing. No one could hear Reya's pained breathing and see the blood that was still seeping from her wound and not realize that she was truly placing her life into their hands.**

One by one, the rest of Champions joined the line to protect Reya. The greatest surprise of all was her most violent opponent, Gravis. Gravis was subdued as he said to the crowd, "I'm like you. I can't see much good in a woman but I'm also a Champion. I've never been able to protect Chandar the way this woman has. I cannot ignore such a display of courage or the debt that the entire Alliance owes her. The day we stop honouring this kind of self-sacrifice is the day I will step down as Champion because we would no longer be longer worthy of the concept of a Champion. I can't say that I would be able to change my mind about women but I can change my mind about this woman and I am willing to listen. **We have to let her go. We must allow them to save her."**

Dannon said, "Gravis is right. We owe Reya. The aliens are trying to destroy humanity again. This time they're trying to use everything against us including our own weaknesses. If Reya had not had the courage to defy our traditions and prejudices, the aliens would have won and who knows where Chandar would be in a year from now. Maybe destroyed or all enslaved to the aliens. I think that we must consider a change if we are to survive as a people. We cannot let the aliens win. If it means embracing women like Reya, then I say we should at least talk about it. **But we have to save her first.**"

The Champions in the line looked at each other. There were nods of consensus as the Elder Champion said, "Dannon is right. We can't let the aliens win. There is much to be discussed but for now, the Champions will honour the new Champion, Reya with all of the privileges that she has earned many times over.** Argus, go. Save her.**"

Argus didn't need another invitation. He quickly snapped the bracelet on Reya's wrist and called for teleport. Cally was ready and waiting when she arrived.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Argus hovered anxiously beyond an opaque energy screen that concealed the surgical area where Cally and Marlena were trying to repair the damage to Reya lungs and chest. One of his fists was opening and closing with the tension of feeling helpless. There was nothing he could do except wait. The light reddish tinge to the screen made him uncomfortable. It reminded him of the colour of blood; Reya's blood as it slowly bled out of her injured body. He thought the builders of this ship must be callous sadists to make it a colour that would remind him of his failure and her pain.

Avon entered and watched the preoccupied man for a moment before he said, "Everyone's back on the ship."

"What?" Argus belatedly registered what he was saying. "Good. What's the situation on the planet?"

"Choatic but the Champions are providing leadership."

Argus turned around and stared at him. "Do you think it'll work?"

"The Commander staked her life on it."

Argus flinched at yet another reminder of what was going on behind the screen that hid the person he most wanted to see. With a loud thump, he hit his fist against the frame of the bed next to him. "I _know_ she did. That's not what I asked."

What he desperately needed to hear was that Reya's sacrifice was not going to be for nothing. He couldn't bear the thought of that on top of everything else.

Avon paused for a moment. His seemed to stare blankly back at Argus's sudden outburst of emotion. The other man didn't seem phased or uncomfortable with his own emotions, unlike himself.

Avon wondered what it was like to be that much at ease with one's own humanity. He'd never had it himself and it had never occurred to him to ask why that was until now. Why was he different? It wasn't as if he didn't have emotions. To him they had always been forces he battled with until he could wrestle them into the background where they couldn't interfere with the operation of his mind, or they won and made him someone others would consider human. Those emotions that tended to dominate even a mind such as his; anger, fear and the most inexplicable one that others would recognize as caring or the most foolishly optimistic, as love.

As he stared at Argus, he could read the play of emotions across the other man's face as if they were living entities that had taken him over and fought to have expression; fear, guilt, pain, despair, helplessness. Avon felt his own twinge of emotions as Argus's naked feelings stirred up memories of his own from the Detention Centre.

But what the other man was experiencing were only distantly related to his own. Argus was having these because of _someone else's pain_, not his own. There was one other emotion that he recognized, the most and least understandable of all to Avon, the one that made people do things against all reason.

It didn't take an emotionally conversant man to recognize Argus's need for reassurance. Which was fortunate considering Argus was turning to Avon for that support. "Sester's assessment was sound. As was his strategy."

Argus said with self-incriminating bitterness, "It wasn't sound enough to prevent her from nearly being killed."

Avon felt ill-equipped to be anyone's support. It required someone more sensitive to the needs of others. What he needed was Cally. Avon played with the idea of reaching out to her with his mind. He knew she always kept an active awareness of him these days. It was irritating at times, comforting at others and could be downright useful in times like this.

He decided to apply his own mind to the problem. He was intelligent, he should be able to manage something. Argus was asking him. He was trusting him. Of course, if it didn't work, he always had the Cally contingency.

He could see that Argus was full of guilt and he was doing something he had a predictable tendency to do, which was to rationalize everything as his own fault. Avon said with the dispassionate tone of a man whose logic was inescapable, "Sester warned us of the dangers but he also gave us the odds of success. Unfortunately one does not preclude the other. There was no way to predict that the Andromedans had taken over so many of the Champions. The Commander knew that and accepted the risk and you honoured her decision."

Argus's eyes were staring down at the bed. He seemed to withdraw into himself.

Avon wondered if Argus had even heard what he said. Perhaps it was for the best. His attempt at interpreting and giving the other man what was needed was feeble at best, hampered by his own limitations.

Argus had heard what Avon said and recognized that the other man was trying to help. In some ways, Avon's deliberately emotionless presentation of the facts had given him an avenue to look at things more objectively. Reya needed him. She had gotten to him in a way that no one had ever been able to. She was the one person who could disturb his professional calm and the normal discipline that was needed to prevent the uncontrollable side of himself from escaping.

The others needed a leader who didn't fall apart under personal considerations. It was one thing to be moved by emotions, another thing entirely to lose his mind and become someone the others couldn't depend on.

He lifted his head to look at Avon and briefly put a hand on the other man's shoulder, "Thanks. I know you're right but…"

"This is an occasion when knowledge and emotion do not agree?"

Argus said with a momentary wry smile, "I'd be lucky if they didn't start a pitched battle." Another thought caused Argus to barely manage to prevent a snarl from appearing on his face. "I hate it when he's right."

Avon didn't need psi abilities to know who he was referring to. In this they were both agreed. Avon's voice became like the cold of space. "If he wasn't, we would have no use for him."

"I suppose you're right." Argus turn back to the energy screen, trying in vain to penetrate it with a hard look from his eyes.

Avon leaned back against a tall supplies cabinet and crossed his arms. "They know what they're doing."

Argus turned back to look at him. "I know. But it doesn't help. And before you say there's no point in worrying, you can save your breath. I can't believe that you wouldn't be worried if it was Cally in there."

Avon tilted his head to regard him as he thought about this. "Perhaps you're right."

Argus sat down heavily on chair and expelled a worried and frustrated breath. It didn't make him feel any more comfortable so he immediately got up again.

Avon watched all of this aggravated activity with an impassive look on his face but with a bit of curiosity in his eyes.

Argus suddenly fixed him with an intense stare and said, "You're not a machine, Avon."

A thin curl of amusement formed on Avon's lips at this unexpected interjection. "Many people would disagree with you."

"Yes, I know. You've said it quite a few times since I've met you and I haven't believed a single one." Argus released Avon's eyes and returned to futiley trying to penetrate the energy barrier again with his intense stare.

Avon was about to respond but saw that Argus was no longer thinking about this topic. He wanted to know why was this man so certain about him. But there was no use in trying to engage Argus in any kind of conversation now except ones concerning Reya.

The energy barrier turned from red to light blue and they were finally able to see inside. Cally and Marlena were on either side of the surgical bed, looking at the readings on various monitors. Argus crowded the energy barrier as close as he could.

Reya's face was pale and her eyes were closed. The band of a machine was extended across her chest. Because of the covering, he couldn't tell how she was breathing.

Cally and Marlena finished what they were doing and came towards him. As they passed through the energy barrier, it seemed to flash orange and then became blue again.

In an anxious voice, Argus asked, "How is she?"

A tired-faced Cally said with a pleased smile, "She's going to be fine. The surgery went well. We were able to repair most of the damage."

"When...can I see her?" Argus looked like a man who had suffered a severe injury as well.

Cally didn't need her psi abilities to tell her that Argus and Reya were tied closely together. When one was injured, the other felt the pain as well.

She said in gentle voice, "She won't wake up for a couple of hours but you can go in to see her. The energy screen will remove any contaminants you as you pass through it."

Argus said in the tone of a man who had just been given a reprieve, "Thank you. Both of you."

Marlena had a gentle smile on her face. "It's my pleasure."

Cally touched her hand to Argus's arm. "You had better go in and see her. We'll here if either one of you need anything."

Argus wasn't listening anymore, he was already headed towards the bed. The screen flashed for a moment as he passed through the barrier, cleansing him of anything that would harm Reya. He wished there was a device like that to keep all danger away from her.

The sound of breathing could be a wonderful thing when your greatest fear had been no breathing at all. It could produce a calming effect that was more potent than any music. Argus picked up Reya's hand and closed his eyes and listened.

**********

When you think that time is limited, you don't want to waste any moment of it. Even if it means doing something that may not seem important to you but does to someone else. If it were up to Avon, he would spend the rest of his time improving the ship and working on technology that would protect Cally after he was gone. But he was aware now that for her as it had been for him at the Detention Centre, being alive wasn't enough. Cally had to have a reason to live. She needed memories she could hold onto.

After his semi-successful attempt to help Argus, Avon turned his attentions to Cally.

After Cally had emerged from behind the protective screen and Argus had gone in to see Reya, Avon said, "You look tired."

Cally said, "I _feel_ tired."

Marlena offered, "I can stay with her. Why don't you go with Avon?"

Cally said, "Thank you for your help. I couldn't have done it without you. I've never performed surgery of this nature before."

Marlena smiled, "You did quite well. The advanced medical technology of your ship made it much easier. You should be able to handle it on your own now that you've seen it done."

Cally said wryly, "Having medical texts and vid examples don't make up for real practical experience. There were some things you showed me that weren't in the files."

"As you said, some things can only be learned by experience. I was glad to be of assistance."

Cally knew that the advanced medical equipment of the ship was only valuable if she knew how to use them. The tissue regenerators, the various scanners and the recognizable drugs were all things they had used but there were many others that she only knew the function of. The ability to use them without killing the patients was another matter altogether. Just as brain surgery belonged to specialists the use of some if this powerful equipment should only be attempted by those who knew what to do with them.

Before she left with Avon, Cally said to Marlena, "It was much appreciated."

Marlena looked thoughtfully after them.

**********

In the corridor just outside his cabin, Vila had a momentary stunned look on his face. Corinne had come racing towards him, hugged him, thanked him and given him a kiss on the cheek. He could barely remember in which order it had occurred.

He wondered if someone had told her that this was a customary greeting between people from Earth. Vila certainly hoped not.

He asked with amazement, "What was that for?"

"You and your friends are wonderful!" she said breathlessly as if she had raced in from somewhere. "I was watching on a vid monitor one of the engineers was nice enough to set up for me."

That certainly pricked Vila's ears up. "Which engineer?" He thought he should start keeping track of who else was being nice to Corinne other than him. Vila was trying to be realistic. Corinne was a beautiful woman and he didn't want to be ignorant of the competition.

He knew he wasn't the most handsome man on the ship and his physique was hardly anything to boast about. Being a Delta most of his life, he was used to how others viewed him and despite his best efforts, it had determined how he saw himself. So he needed all the advantages he could get.

Corinne reacted in surprise at the unexpected tone in his voice. Her face turned into a worried frown. "Did I do something wrong? I wasn't trying to take up his time."

The suspicion on Vila's face softened. "No no. You didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to make sure that…never mind. You don't have to thank me. The Commander was the brave one."

"Yes! She was magnificent! And so were you!" There was a radiant smile on her face. "You were all so brave and you care about people."

For a moment Vila thought she was going to kiss him again. Not that he would mind.

Corinne said, "I wish I could be like you."

Vila liked being thought of as brave and wonderful, especially by someone who was beautiful and he liked a lot. But for some reason, he felt he had to be truthful with her. "Well, to be honest, I didn't feel very brave. I was scared the whole time. My knees were knocking so hard, I'm sure everyone saw it."

"But that makes you even more special. You're afraid. It takes a lot more courage to do what you did."

Vila disagreed. He didn't feel that what he did should be compared with what Reya had done. "What the Commander did was much more than I did. She was willing to die to help people who tortured her and wanted her dead. I just…couldn't leave them."

"You did it because they're your friends?"

"Well…yes." Until now, Vila hadn't realized that he was shivering. The stress of what he had done on the planet was finally starting to catch up with him.

Corinne's eyes held warmth and then sharp concern as she asked, "What's wrong, Vila?"

"I…this happens sometimes when I've been too scared or face too much danger. It'll go away after I get some sleep."

Without warning Corinne hugged him again but this time she didn't let go. Her body felt warm and seemed to help somewhat. It was nice to have someone who cared enough to hug him when he needed it. He pushed her away gently. "You'd better go. Before…"

"Did I do something wrong again?" she asked with the uncertainty of an outworlder facing the customs of Earth for the first time.

"No. You do everything right. It's me that might do something…well…something that wouldn't be a good idea right now. I can't really explain." He really hoped that Corinne wouldn't ask for more details.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Vila was getting a strong feeling that something was wrong as he and Avon talked. He had been about to go find Corinne when Avon made an unexpected appearance at his door. Avon wanted to talk about the past. His voice was not quite impassive as it normally was nor was it emotional, in an Avon-since-the-Detention-Centre sort of way, it wasn`t even in between. It was subdued and there seemed to be a measure of urgency in everything he said. He paced Vila's cabin restlessly like someone who couldn't sit still.

They had covered many things tonight, some trivial and some important. There were still many they hadn't gone into and to be honest, Vila really wished he would stop. He could tell that Avon was skirting close to the edge. So far they had avoided anything that would trigger a loss of control and the inevitable collapse that would followed.

Vila was about to say that maybe the rest could wait for another time when Avon remarked, "We've always had an adversarial relationship. I've never…been nice to you."

"I wouldn't say never," said Vila. It was very strange to have Avon in this kind of mood. "A lot of the time. But it's not as if I didn't do the same thing. You're an Alpha, I'm a Delta. We're practically enemies."

"You're not a Delta."

"Well, a pretend-Delta's the same thing to everyone else." Vila's observant eyes had noticed that Avon was incessantly rubbing the heel of his palms together as they talked; an old habit when he was nervous and stressed. Vila watched the anxious activity worriedly, wondering again if he should stop this conversation.

Avon was opening himself up to sharing with someone who wasn't Cally. It must have been something that was making him feel very uncomfortable. They were friends but they hadn't come far enough for chats like this. Vila had almost accepted that there would never be any. Avon just wasn't that kind of person. Vila had resigned himself to taking whatever he could get.

Not that he was much into close relationships himself. He'd never really shared much about his life with any of the others either. For some reason, none of them ever talked about themselves much. They were colleagues and occasional friends and that was about it.

It was odd. In some ways, after Gan died, Avon was the closest he had to a friend. Avon may have belittled him and was cruel but he was the only one who took him seriously sometimes. To everyone else, he was just a pair of useful hands. The rest of the time, he was just an irritant that everyone told to shut up. No one ever listened to him. Except Avon. No one ever gave him a choice. Avon had sometimes, not often but at least he had. To Vila, it meant something. No one had ever treated him like that before. None of the other Alphas had made the effort to break through the grade-barrier and listen to him like a real person.

"Avon."

Avon stopped his pacing and waited for him to continue.

"When we were on the _London, _I just saw a chance to bring down an Alpha. Rub your nose in it. It's a favourite game among the Delta-grades. We don't get the chance to do it much. When I saw you, you had nothing, just like the rest of us. Your grade didn't mean anything anymore or your brain or skills. They'd thrown you away like trash just the same as us. But you didn't act like it. You were still the arrogant Alpha. You acted like it still made a difference. I wanted to bring you down a peg, make you feel like the rest of 's why I said what I said about you being second-best."

Avon's eyes were like lasers, boring into him, trying to find the truth. "I was aware of it."

To Vila, it was odd going back to the past. It felt like along time ago and a much younger and more innocent Vila he was remembering. One who hadn't killed anyone yet. "To be honest, I'd always wanted to meet you. I can't disable computer security systems but I always wished I could. It would've been really useful. I've studied it a bit on my own so I'd heard about you. Can't avoid it, you're a big name in computers and you'd almost pulled off the greatest bank fraud in Federation history."

Avon said stiffly, "The operative word being, almost. I achieved nothing as you pointed out."

Vila grimaced as a stab of guilt hit him. Even after all this time, it was a failure that seemed to bother Avon. Avon had always been a man who took his own failures very personally. Vila regretted that he had harped on it at a time when Avon had been the most vulnerable and had lost everything. Including Anna.

Avon said, "If I had been good enough, it would never have happened." His words trailed off and his eyes no longer seemed focused.

Vila looked at him in disbelief. Avon always had a strong sense of superiority about his own intelligence and abilities. It was one of his defining characteristics. And like ORAC, at times it was annoying that he had every reason to be. An Avon who had lost confidence even in his own abilities was a frightening thing. It was like finding out that the sun had suddenly lost its ability to warm the Earth. An immutable fact of life had unexpectedly been turned upside down. This was the last thing Vila expected or wanted to happen.

There was definitely something wrong. Vila wondered if Cally was racing through the corridors towards them right now. He had to get Avon off this topic; he had to reassure him. "No. It wasn't your fault. You said it. You had to rely on other people. It wasn't your computer skills that got you caught."

Avon repeated tonelessly. "I had to rely on other people. I needed other people." He suddenly leaned towards Vila's and said, "If I had been good enough, I wouldn't have needed anyone."

Vila asked in shock, "Avon, what's happening to you?"

Avon said with chilling blankess, "Nothing."

Vila was almost taken aback at the darkness that was in Avon's eyes. It wasn't the kind of darkness that frightened with its black heart, it was the night before the coming end, the deep melancholy of a man who wanted hope but was afraid that it was gone forever.

A shiver went through Vila. Avon had been many people since being rescued from the Detention Centre. Of all of them, this Avon frightened him the most. This Avon had tried to kill himself when he came back.

Vila had to snap him out of it. "Avon, you _are_ the best. You always have been. Everyone knows that. People in your field called you the second Ensor. They said you could do anything. I didn't mean what I said on the _London_. I'm really sorry, Avon. I guess we got off on the wrong foot and I started it."

Avon stared at him and the hard, defensive look in his eyes faded. The darkness was wrestled back to where he could control it again. "As you said, we were the product of our classes, practically enemies. We're not now."

Vila said vehemently, "No, we're not. Avon, let's not talk about these things anymore. I just want to look to the future. We have a good thing now. It doesn't matter what happened before."

The buried melancholy still tinged Avon's voice. "The future?" His eyes stared into the distance, as if he was trying to see where his lay. Or how much of it he had left.

Vila said fervently, as if with the force in his words, he could work a different magic, one that would give Avon the hope that his mind refused him. "Yes! The future." Unfortunately, magic only worked on children. There was a dull ache in his stomach.

Avon focused his eyes on him again. This time, there was a brief flash of something Vila had never seen before. A gentleness that was shaded with sadness and regret. It was only there for a moment. Avon said, "I've…" Each word seemed to be a struggle, as if each one was wrestled from some place that gave him pain. "…never said that I cared…about you."

Vila's mouth opened in shock and then he closed it. "Well, it's…"

Avon's eyes were steady on his. "I do."

**********

After Avon left his cabin, Vila did some thinking. Instead of going to see Corinne, he headed to the medical unit. He hoped that Avon hadn't gone there ahead of him.

Cally had her back to the door and was reading from a datapad.

"Cally, can I talk to you?"

Cally asked with immediate concern, "What happened, Vila? What just happened to Avon now? I couldn't reach him with my mind. He was too focused. The things I felt…I almost went to find him." There was great worry on her face. She still couldn't reach Avon and she doubted if he was aware of her. His mind was still preoccupied though he seemed to have calmed down.

"I swear, Cally. I didn't mean to upset him. He just wanted to talk. He wants to do that a lot these days. I thought it'd be more stressful if he didn't. He's sort of…you know the way he gets when he gets it in his head he has to do something?"

"Tell me what happened?" At the same time, she reached out with her psi abilities to locate Avon's consciousness again. He appeared to be tired and stressed but there was none of the deep depression she had sensed earlier.

Vila told her and then he asked, "Why would he do that? It's almost like he thinks he has to get everything off his chest in one go. But it's not as if he doesn't…" Vila stopped and the sickening feeling came over him again as a new understanding joined the other one he had gotten in his cabin.

"Have much time?" Cally's face paled.

"Cally! Why would he think that? I mean, Sester's drugs helped and Marlena said her people could too." Vila felt as if the floor was sinking. "I can't believe he's giving up."

Cally said fiercely, "He hasn't given up."

"But, Cally! He's…"

"He hasn't! He's just a realist and he's preparing for all eventualities." She told herself it had to be that. Avon was the ultimate pragmatist, he would fight to the very end, but he also faced what the facts told him was reality. That explained the intensity of their interactions lately. The talks and the increased intimacy. She realized that she had known but had not wanted to face the truth. She had wanted this Avon for along time, but it was coming at a terrible price. "In the past he's been able to control and suppress emotions. When he couldn't control them, they tended to explode. But now, he can barely keep anything in check. Even the smallest thing can set off an emotional response that spirals out of control. Right now, he's facing the possibility that he won't live much longer. Can you imagine what that's doing to him inside?"

Vila could scarcely swallow the knot that seemed to be choking his throat. "Cally, I saw something in his eyes. Just for a moment. It was the look he had when he came back from the Detention Centre. When he tried to kill himself."

Cally's jaw tightened and something seemed to pierce her heart. "He won't."

Vila nodded. "Because of you."

"Because of all of us, Vila. We have to be strong for him. It costs him great pain to live now but he's doing it for us. He needs hope and love. He's never had much of either one."

"I'll stay close to him."

"Thank you, Vila. You're a good friend. I'll go and find him and we can all take turns watching him."

Vila pointed out worriedly, "He won't like it."

"We don't have a choice, Vila."

Vila mumbled, "He's going to be so embarassed when he comes out of this. Assuming it isn't one of the things he chooses to suppress when he gets his mind back. I mean, I would. Maybe."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing."

**********

For the next few days, the Champions took over the vacuum of leadership. They already commanded great respect in Chandaran society so it wasn't that difficult. The shock of the aliens had shaken everyone throughout the Chandar Alliance. The majority of them had been watching the Inauguration. With a little nudging, the shock had become full-fledged fear and outrage. It wasn't difficult considering the paranoid tendencies already in their society. And Chandaran pride could not ignore the insult of being manipulated by the aliens. It was amazing how collective fear and impending disaster could make people reassess what was really important.

Somewhere between fear and paranoia, some of the sympathetic Champions and with the help of Brent's friends on the planet, were able to slip in a few suggestions and thoughts about improving the conditions of the women in their society. There was still great opposition but also much confusion and conflicting views because the image of Reya's courage and sacrifice was forever burned into their collective consciousnesses.

As Reya recovered in the medical unit, Chandaran society began to slowly, hesitantly and very reluctantly claw its way to a better society for all of its people.

*********

Playing solitaire chess can be relaxing and challenging. There are no inferior opponents that you have to humour and you know you're playing someone who is at least as intelligent as yourself. Well, that was why Sester preferred it. He didn't often find challenging opponents. When there was at least one worthy rival within playing distance, solitaire chess became an isolating and lonely exercise. Sester sighed and made another move against himself. With his other hand, he was nursing a stiff drink of some kind. It was green and resembled whisky in taste. Other than that he had no idea what it was except that it carried a sufficient enough kick to it.

The four walls of his cabin were starting to feel like a prison. But at least here there was no hostility or people trying to avoid him. Well, not most of the time.

Sester unconsciously played with the tracer bracelet on his left wrist. It was amazing how your body remembers pain even when it was no longer present.

Even Vila didn't seem to have time for him anymore. Regardless of what Vila's motivations had been, he had enjoyed interacting with him. But Vila had other more pleasant priorities now. Sester had noticed his interest in Corinne the first time she appeared on the ship. There was no mistaking the constant, surreptitious glances. He was happy for Vila. Everyone needed someone.

Sester sighed again and this time made a vicious attack against his white king. "Check and mate." He pushed the piece over, letting it hit the board and roll away from him. Sester drained the rest of the green liquid.

The buzzer to his door announced a visitor. At last someone to interact with. Sester smiled and went to open it.

"Vi…" He stared at the man who was not Vila. The friendly smile turned into a guarded one. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked Argus as he stepped aside to let him in.

It must have been something important if Argus used the buzzer this time rather than barging right in. The two men stared at each other as they stood in the middle of the room.

Argus seemed to scowl slightly but quickly replaced it with a neutral look, as if he was trying very hard to not be antagonistic. "I came to thank you."

Sester cocked his head speculatively. "You're welcome."

"You…" Each word seemed to be produced with great effort. "…would do anything for her?"

Sester kept his tone neutral but a faint amusement brightened his eyes. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Argus's chest expanded and collapsed with conscious effort. "Does that extend to Avon?"

Sester's eyes widened slightly and then narrowed. "Why all the questions?"

Argus tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. Psychostrategists seemed to have problems with answering questions before they knew why they were being asked. He said tightly, "Just answer the question."

Sester nodded as he realized what was behind the request. "You don't think that the Tellarans can help Avon?"

Sester always seemed to answer the real questions, not the asked ones. Argus frowned with annoyance but made an effort to be civil. "They're an unknown. We don't know anything about them other than they're a matriarchy and they fall into traps. I'd rather not trust Marlena's claim that they have more advanced science and technology until we see proof."

"And even then, there is no guarantee they can help Avon? That's why you're coming to me? Your enemy?"

Argus's voice was tight. "You're not Avon's enemy."

"Or Reya's."

Argus chose not to dignify that declaration with a response. The two men stared at each other across a distance that seemed like a void that threatened to swallow them both up; a place where they could never be anything other than enemies and rivals.

Sester said, "I've asked you before what price you're willing to pay to have me help Avon."

"You have my answer."

"It's not enough."

Argus tried to keep down a rising anger. Of course Sester would try to squeeze as much out of this as he could get. If the man demanded Reya in return, he wasn't sure if he wouldn't decide to kill him now.

Sester smiled with amusement. The play of thoughts across the other man's face, although slight, were like red flags for a psychostrategist. "Don't worry, I won't ask that. I do have a very strong instinct for self-preservation."

Argus scowled. "Then what do you want?"

"To help Avon, I have to go to Servalan. Neither one of us have a choice about that. We need her cooperation and she needs incentive for that cooperation. And we know Avon would die before asking her for help."

Argus didn't like where this was going. It was something that his subconscious mind had already realized but his conscious mind had not wanted to face; not after what he had already given to her. "So that leaves me?" Argus knew he should have asked Servalan himself but it was too late now.

"Yes, what price are you willing to pay to Servalan?"

Argus's fists clenched instinctively and there was struggle in his eyes as he thought about this. Every day with that woman hanging over them like a threat was a neverending battle. He was feeling increasingly trapped.

Sester looked at him curiously. "Well?"

Argus's words came out, almost angrily. "Ask her. Then I will decide."

"Very well."

Argus continued to look at Sester without moving.

Sester asked, "Was there something else?"

"Reya…" Argus's jaw tightened. "…wants you to come to a gathering. In cargo bay one. In two hours."

"What's the occasion?"

With reluctance Argus admitted, "Your strategy worked."

"Ahhh, the Chandarans. I'm glad that it did. It's important to her."

Argus just looked at him. He didn't want to discuss Reya with his rival.

Sester grinned. "Very well, I'll be there."

**********

The celebration in the main cargo hold was festive. Chandaran-themed decorations with a military look which wasn't for everyone, but seemed to make the Chandarans feel right at home. The majority of the Champions were there along President Brent and his people. Most of the crew, including the soldiers, were in attendance.

Reya and Argus paused at the doorway just before going inside. She had her hand on Argus's for support but removed it before anyone could see them.

Argus was trying to stop himself from acting overprotective but he had to ask, "Reya, are you sure you're up to this?"

Reya stood up straighter and squared her shoulders. "I'll be fine."

The paleness of her face and the faint tremoring of her hands told him otherwise. But the stubborn set of her told him that it was no use arguing with her. Trying to stop a determined Reya was almost impossible unless he bodily picked her up and carried her back to the medical unit. And doing that would definitely not be a good idea.

Argus grinned wryly and said, "Next time _I'm_ injured, I think I'll remind you of this."

Reya looked as if she was about to say something but changed her mind and said something else. She put her hand back on his arm again. "You're right. I shouldn't be doing this. But...I _have _to be here. I promise you that I won't stay long. Just long enough."

Argus nodded reluctantly. They both understood about duty and having to finish what they set out to do. "Alright. As long as you don't mind if I stay close to you the whole time."

Reya smiled. "I would like that."

**********

The excited and happy atmosphere in the main cargo hold suddenly faded to stillness as they all turned towards the doorway. Reya entered with Argus at her side. There was a hushed silence as they walked towards the assorted gathering.

Every pair of eyes was intent on staring at Reya, taking in every detail. They all saw how pale she was and though she walked tall and strongly they couldn't help noticing that she was moving slowly. As she neared, those who had sharper eyes noticed the slight tremoring of her fingers. She looked self-conscious at all the eyes trained on her.

Cally caught her eyes and then she nodded imperceptibly. She also understood why Reya was doing this. Reya knew that she would be keeping a careful eye on her physical condition.

Suddenly, everyone began to clap and there was cheering for the new Champion. Reya's face took on a slightly reddish tinge.

The Elder Champion, Trist, stepped forward with a respectful look on his face. It was a big step for him to have this kind of regard for a woman but he was one who recognized honour and courage above all else. In his mind, she wasn't just a woman anymore, at least not a woman as he had always defined them. His voice took on a formal tone as he addressed her, "Reya, this is a celebration of hope for the Chandar Alliance. You are the primary reason why we have this hope. You risked your life for us and though not all of Chandar may recognize you because of your gender, we the Champions do."

If Reya could prevent her face from getting redder, she would have. She was not used to all this praise and attention. She was used to getting the job done with as little fuss and noise as possible and then fade into the background. This was making her distinctly uncomfortable but she recognized that what she had done was a very public act. It had to be one. She had to carry this role on to its conclusion.

Reya said, "You're very kind to say that. But we all had a hand in achieving this, from the members of this crew to President Brent and his people, to all of you. If you had not supported my actions, what I did would never have worked. We all achieved this."

Trist asked, "Both men _and _women?"

All eyes were focused on Reya and Trist.

Reya said carefully, "We each had our roles to play."

Trist seemed to think on this for a moment. "Yes, we did. I've never thought of women as having an important role in our society before. But if you had not stood up the way you did, Chandar would have been lost." He paused again. This time everyone seemed to think on this. "I'm an old hand. It's hard for me to change. I don't know if I can but Chandar cannot afford not to. It was not one of us who saved the Alliance, it was you. No matter what you say, without your part in this, Thelis...the aliens would be in control now. They may even have manipulated us into helping them destroy the rest of humanity. I see you differently now. In my mind you are a Champion. One of us. Perhaps even more. For the sake of Chandar, and because of you, I am willing to try."

With each word, Reya felt new strength infusing her limbs. It was the energy that came from having hope. She bowed her head in acknowledgement of what he was doing and said to Trist, "Thank you."

Having the most elder of the Champions, their de facto leader, express these thoughts was more than they could have hoped for. Where he led, the others would be more inclined to follow. His opinion carried great weight.

Dannon said, "I know it's not much yet but people _are _willing to talk. Not about change exactly but a different way of seeing things."

Reya said encouragingly, "It's an important first step."

Brent said, "I never thought we would get even that. Not unless we forced them to. And not for a few more decades at least."

Vila said, "I suppose we did force them, in a way. Well, the aliens did."

There was no hint of melancholy on Avon's face as he stood beside Cally. "They did us a favour. Their exposure and the Commander's actions have achieved something that would never have been possible otherwise."

Argus, who was trying very hard not to put his arm around Reya in order to provide support, said, "And we have another ally who will actively fight any further incursions into this Sector."

Dannon already spoke like a man who carried a great burden. "Yes, we will start to contact the other planets and Alliances."

Gravis said, "That's going to be hard. We're at war with most of them. Where do we even start?"

Brent said, "We have to try. Unfortunately, I doubt if my people will accept me back as their President. They need people who are impartial. They know I'm not."

Marlena said, "The Champions have been providing leadership. They are seen as Guardians of Chandar."

Brent mused, "You mean, let them continue?"

Trist said, "That's not our role." He still felt uncomfortable with the women there but he was trying to adapt. Reya, he could accept, she was already one of the Champions in his eyes. He knew very little about Marlena. The sight of this self-confident and intelligent woman seemed very unnatural. He had resolved to try change but it was still too soon.

Marlena directed a warm and encouraging smile towards him, "No. It's not. But Champions are entrusted with the safety of Chandar. Chandar will not be safe without a leader in these troubled times. The last thing you need is a power vacuum."

Sester spoke up, "Marlena's right. I doubt if the aliens we saw are the only ones."

That produced a flurry of reactions.

Vila wondered how many more shocks his poor stomach could stand today. It wasn't even lunch time yet. A trip to the medical unit and Cally's magical elixirs was in order soon. "You mean there are more?"

Avon said, "It's a logical assumption. You can't take over an entire planet with only a handful of people."

Argus said, "That's true. It doesn't make tactical sense if they only relied on the few we saw."

Sester nodded. "Thelis and the Champions were the keys. Without them, their plans wouldn't work. But that won't stop them. The ones left will think of something else."

Dannon said, "We'll have to watch out for them."

Gravis said, "But how can we if we don't even know who they are? They can be anyone."

Sester said, "You do have one advantage."

They all turned to him.

Sester was in full psychostrategist mode. "In some ways, the position that the women in your Alliance hold..."

Argus said, "You mean the lack of one."

Sester aimed a friendly look towards his rival. "Yes. It will help you identify who the aliens are."

They all looked confused. Brent asked, "How?"

Sester had that look that Avon got when he thought that something should be obvious. "You ignore your women. You speak in front of them as if they don't matter. It doesn't occur to you that they would have any way to damage you because they have no power in your society. No woman would defy a man in your society unless they're off-worlders like Marlena. Do I need to go on?""

Marlena said, "You're saying that all we have to do is ask the women?"

Avon's eyes widened. "The aliens would treat the women the same way? Without regard to discretion?"

Sester smiled. "Yes. And the women would be able to tell if there were any changes in anyone in their households."

The others finally caught up.

Argus admitted reluctantly, "That's clever."

Marlena's brow was furrowed in thought. "The Chandaran women may be too timid and afraid to say anything against their men. It would be something against their natures."

Cally, who had been busy trying to keep her awareness on Avon, said, "It might be easier if a woman approached them. Either myself, Marlena or Corinne. And Reya when she's recovered."

Sester remarked, "That's a good idea but you'll need more than the four of you. You'll have to check everyone who might be a potential target to be used by the Andromedans."

Reya asked him, "You can identify those potential targets as well?"

Sester inclined his head at her understanding of what he could do. "I can give possible profiles of what to look for but you still need more women."

Reya asked Marlena, "Can your people help?"

Trist was resistant. "That's out of the question. We cannot bring more off-worlder women here."

Avon said, "It will have to be done discreetly, of course. Once the Andromedans realize what we're doing, they will kill their women."

Sester said, "Which would be another good indication of alien presence but not our prefered way to identify them."

Vila remarked, "That'd be like taking your shoes off by shooting yourself in the foot."

Argus said, "We'll have to sneak them in and use the same disguises you had before. The teleport will be very useful."

Reya asked, "Marlena?"

Marlena replied, "I know my people will be very be glad to help."

Argus said, "Very well. President Brent, if you would stay here with your people and help the Champions restore order, we'll go to the Tellar Union to recruit some help and bring them back."

Brent said, "My first act would be to officially step down as President and support the Champions fully. Hopefully by the time you come back, order will be reestablished and we can start routing out the aliens in our midst."

Reya said, "And start on changing the status of women on this planet?"

Brent nodded. "We will try. If the women are able to help identify the aliens, it will also help their standing."

Brent turned to his mate and a look passed between them.

Marlena said to Argus, "Corinne and I will go with you to Tellar. I will provide the introductions and I will let my people know what you need. And I'd like Corinne to see my home world."

Vila looked across the room at Corinne. She had been very quiet while everything had been going on. She was looking at him too. They both shared a brief smile.

Argus said to Brent, "We'll provide a secured frequency so we can keep in touch and you can tell us how things are progressing."

Brent nodded in agreement.

Argus picked up a glass from the table and raised it in a toast. Everyone else did the same.

"This is a celebration. Much has been achieved and much is left to be done. But there is something now that wasn't there before. There is new hope for the Chandar Alliance. Both the men and the women. May this be the start of many new and good things for everyone. Cheers!"


End file.
